


L'appel du Vide

by LadyDisdayne



Series: Bringing Home the Bacon [2]
Category: Venom (Movie 2018)
Genre: Anxiety, Brief cannibalism mentions ×, Case Fic, Denial of Feelings, Developing Relationship, Food, Food Porn, Human Disaster Eddie Brock, Hungry Venom Symbiote (Marvel), Journalism, M/M, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Pet Names, Post-Venom (Movie 2018), They share emotions through their bond but they still can't figure their crap out ×, Valentine's Day, Venom Symbiote (Marvel) Likes Chocolate
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-07-12
Packaged: 2019-10-28 11:28:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 25,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17786513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyDisdayne/pseuds/LadyDisdayne
Summary: Eddie had no intention of celebrating Valentine’s Day with anything other than a discount chocolate binge for Venom the next day, that is until a bright pink party invitation showed up in his inbox, throwing not just their Valentine’s Day plans, but their entire lives into disarray.





	1. Episode 1: Bitter Chocolate

**Author's Note:**

> While not necessary, I would recommend reading Eat Bobby Flay first. It will help a couple things make more sense. This isn’t really a Valentine’s Day story, it just starts off that way.   
> Thank you to everyone that commented on Eat Bobby Flay - I really appreciate it!

 

Eddie groaned as he read the bright pink invitation in his inbox, weighing his options. The invite itself held little interest, but it was sent by none other than Black Star News Agency, the same agency that picked up his teenage homelessness article last month. Since picking up that article, they had been sending random small jobs his way, and rumor had it that one of the writing staff had quit unexpectedly recently. Mrs. Black herself had sent the invitation with a note saying she looked forward to meeting with him in person to discuss an opportunity.

 

Being a freelance contractor had its benefits - Eddie could pick his own topics and hours, didn't have to answer to anyone about his investigative methods, and, most importantly, he could keep up with Venom’s eating habits. 

 

Of course, Venom  _ loved  _ it because he got to watch Food Network all day. Eddie had been right to worry about Venom discovering Food Network, just not for the reasons he expected. Once the symbiote had gotten over their initial disgust of cooked meat, Venom had realized that human food had millions of options and that humans would  _ fight _ over it. He loved watching the competition shows, especially reruns of Cutthroat Kitchen. On the bright side, Eddie was able to get a lot more done with Venom distracted, even if Venom suddenly started screaming at various contestants to get out of the pantry or when he sent a twisted of blend of lust and hunger across their bond because someone had broken out the chocolate. 

 

However, freelance work also had its downsides, mostly the lack of a consistent paycheck and company backing. It really would be nice to have access to the funds and resources an agency had. 

 

Unfortunately, Eddie knew that to even be considered for the open position, he would need to leave the safety and comfort of his hole and actually attend the pink nightmare. Anxiety twinged in his chest, but was quickly shoved aside.

 

“Well love, looks like we have Valentine’s Day plans after all.” 

 

**“What kind of plans, Eddie? You promised us we could stay home all day and then eat chocolate out of fancy boxes the next day.”** Venom had been drooling over a rerun of Cupcake Wars, but quickly became distressed over losing the promised pile of discount chocolate. He turned his attention to Eddie’s laptop screen and Eddie could feel Venom’s toothy smile creep across both of their faces as he read the invite. 

We Love Our Employees! 

Come Share the Love at our Annual

Valentine's Day Chocolate Party 

4:30 PM February 14th - 3rd Floor Break Area

All staff and their significant others are invited. 

Please RSVP to Kimber by February 12th.

  
  


**“Soooo much better than discount chocolate Eddie!”**

 

This was going to be an adventure on so many levels. 

 

*******

 

“Bud, I know you’re excited, but you gotta remember this is a job interview. We gotta be on our best behavior, which means you gotta stop drooling so I can stop drooling.” Eddie felt Venom’s mood instantly deflate as soon as he mentioned the interview again. There was still excitement over the chocolate feast to come, but sadness swirled across their bond as they walked towards Black Star News Agency’s building. The symbiote had been initially thrilled, thinking about the possibilities of what “Chocolate Party” meant, right up until Eddie explained it was also kind of an interview. Since, Venom had been flipping between chocolaty excitement and deep anxiety mixed with sorrow, with a dash of pissed off thrown in for good measure.

 

**_“I still don’t see why we need a different job, Eddie. The one we have is perfect.”_ ** Eddie’s head buzzed as Venom’s angry voice grumbled around inside. 

 

“Freelance work isn’t cutting it. We need this so we can move on with our lives - maybe move into a nicer place, or even pick up some of that fancy cooking equipment you keep adding to my Amazon wishlist.” Eddie muttered into his headphones. They were the best five dollar investment he had ever made, finally allowing him to respond to his Other without coming across as a complete raving lunatic. Even with the earbuds, passerbys often avoided getting too close. Their arguments about Venom’s cravings sounded even worse one sided.  

 

**_“Fine, Eddie. We will behave, as long as we get to eat ALL of the chocolate.”_ ** Eddie could tell that Venom was still not happy with him, and as retribution the symbiote made sure his hunger swept through them both as Eddie stepped onto the crowded elevator, causing Eddie’s stomach to audibly growl. 

 

Making things worse, the smell of chocolate hit before the elevator doors even closed, shifting Venom’s mood back towards excitement, which he further shared with Eddie by wiggling around their abdomen, creating even more grumbling. 

 

“Love, you gotta stop squirming around.” Two of the passengers closest to Eddie shifted away and a few more glanced at him.

 

As always, they were making a great first impression.

 

Stepping off the elevator, Eddie followed the throng of guests and the smell of chocolate to a large, open area that had been gaudily decorated in every shade of pink and red imaginable. The tablecloths were pale pink and strips of red and pink fabric were strung across the length of the ceiling and walls. Heart balloons floated lazily around the room and surrounded a glittery banner reading “Our Hearts OverFLOW with Love for Our Employees.” Someone had not been paid enough to make the hideous thing. 

 

**_“Eddie, what is going on?! Has somebody died? Do we get to eat the body? Is there a pile of heads?”_ **

 

Eddie snapped out of his daze. “What? No! Why would you even say that?”

 

**_“If there isn’t a pile of heads, why is everything stained with blood? Did they even try to get the blood out? Ina Garten says that the best way to get blood out of fabric is cold water and hydrogen peroxide. You need to tell them, Eddie. Tell them how we get blood out of your shirts.”_ **

 

“Nope. Nope.  _ Nope.  _ Enough of that fun little topic.” Eddie found an out of the way seat so he could explain this horror show to Venom without the strange looks. “It’s all just decoration for Valentine's Day. This is a bit ostentatious, but it could be so much worse.”

 

**_“Decoration? Why is someone tricking us with fake blood Eddie?”_ ** A heart balloon floated closer to their table.  **_“And what the hell is that?!”_ ** Venom was almost bubbling out of Eddie’s skin at this point, fear and uncertainty gripping Eddie’s heart. 

 

“Dude, you need to calm the fuck down. It’s just a heart shaped balloon. Again, decoration. It doesn't  _ do  _ anything.” 

 

**_“Hearts don't look like that! You know that!”_ ** Venom tried to take control over their body in an attempt to steer them out of the room. Eddie pushed back at Venom.

 

“Are you purposely trying to ruin this for us? Do you want to watch me fail? Is that it?” Eddie hissed into his earbuds. Venom immediately relinquished control and Eddie sat back down. Some of the elevator people were watching again. 

 

**_“No, Eddie. We don’t want that.”_** Venom whispered, sorrow and worry staining their bond.

 

Eddie took a deep breath. “Hon, I don't know what the hell has gotten into you today, but Valentine’s Day isn’t about blood baths and its nothing to be freaked out over, unless you are permanently single like me, I guess.” Eddie felt loneliness trickle through his heart. 

 

Drawing himself deep into Eddie’s stomach so Eddie wouldn’t hear, Venom murmured  **_“Not single, Eddie. Never alone.”_ **

 

“Anyways, Valentine’s Day is nothing more than a fake holiday that companies exploit to get people to buy more blood diamonds and shitty chocolate. It was supposed to be a day for people to show how much they love and care about each other, but it’s just another capitalistic money grab. Companies make billions each year, conning people into buying garbage by making them feel bad. And if you really care about someone, you should be showing them everyday, not just when card companies tell you too.” Eddie continued. 

 

“The optimist as always, Mr. Brock.” A short, wiry woman sat down across from Eddie.

 

“Mrs. Black! Hon, I am gonna have to call you back.” Eddie faked hanging up, pulling the headphones out of his ears and shoved them into his pocket. Venom dug himself deeper into his pity party in Eddie’s stomach and Eddie had to force a smile as he directed his attention back to the woman that held his future in her hands. “Sorry ‘bout that, sometimes our conversations get a bit heated. Thank you so much for inviting me!” 

 

“No apology is needed! I’m just glad you are as cynical as ever. I’ve been wanting to meet with you for a while. Your piece on teenage homelessness last month was a pretty decent hit with our readers and brought in quite a bit of of online traffic. I would love to hear about your next project and see if it would be a good fit.” Apparently, Mrs. Black wasn’t one to mince words or to draw out a conversation.

 

Eddie’s heart sank, he was hoping to avoid this particular question. He hadn’t had a good lead, or great motivation, since the last piece was published. Since the that commission check ran out, they had been living off the small odd jobs sent by Black Star. And, if he was being truly honest, the cash they took from their late night criminal snacks helped. A lot.

 

“Ugggg, ahhh, I, ummmm, actually…” 

 

Eddie was saved from needing to make any further noncommittal grunting noises by a young lady in pink. “Mrs. Black, there is a call waiting on line three that can’t wait.” 

 

Mrs. Black sighed. “I know who that is. This is my assistant Kimber. Kimber, would you please show Mr. Brock to the snack tables? Mr. Brock, I apologize, but I must take this call. Please, just have a good time and enjoy the chocolate! I will come talk to you later.” Mrs. Black waves and quickly walked away. Venom had perked up at the mention of chocolate. He had forgotten all about the promised feast during his little hissy fit earlier. 

 

“Did you bring anyone with you today? Anyone we need to wait for?” 

 

“Nope, I’m as single as single gets. Hah.” Venom prickled and Eddie could tell he wanted to comment. Something was seriously bothering his Other today. 

 

“Oh, well, in that case, shall we?” Eddie was quickly led across the room to where six massive chocolate fountains had been set up, ranging from pure white to milky brown to almost pitch black. Each was surrounded by piles of dippable snacks and manned by a caterer who kept the flow of treats constant. 

 

**_“CHOCOLATE FOUNTAINS!?”_** shreaked through Eddie’s skull, startling him bad enough that he not-so-quietly squeaked “ _Shit_!” Kimber shot him a look he was getting to know well and scooted away. A group of young professionals gathered around one of the middle fountains, giggling at Eddie’s squeak and waving at Kimber.

 

“I need to meet up with another assistant to get some things done for Mrs. Black. Are you alright on your own?” Kimber was obviously reluctant to even ask, but knew it was expected. 

 

“Uhhh, yeah, should be good. Thanks!” The words hadn’t even left his mouth before she took off and joined her friends. 

 

Eddie popped his headphones in and Venom started twisting and turning in excitement. “Looks like it is chocolate time. Remember you promised you would be good. We still need to at least attempt to make a decent impression.”

 

Eddie started them off by grabbing a couple skewered items to dip into the pure white chocolate. They made their way from table to table, gathering treats until they had a stack of plates loaded with treats before they hit the final table with the darkest chocolate. No one was at that table and Eddie kind of understood why. The almost black chocolate smelled incredibly bitter, almost acidic. Why bother with this dark of chocolate when there are five others to choose from? 

 

Venom found the smell intoxicating and Eddie felt Venom’s drool starting to form at the corner of his mouth.  **_“Mmmmmm...This one smells delicious. It smells the best so far.”_ **

 

Eddie made sure to grab a couple extra samples for Venom and led them to an out of the way seat, back towards the catering supplies. Their symbiosis allowed them to easily share what they ate- what Eddie tasted, Venom tasted. The issue, well one of the issues, was that sometimes Venom would get overly excited and would try to take over completely so he could shove food into their face faster. Being in a quiet corner would allow them to enjoy the chocolate and not freak anyone out too much. 

 

“Where would you like to start?” 

 

**_“The white one. We haven’t tried that one before.”_ ** Eddie picked up a marshmallow covered in white chocolate and popped it in his mouth. He had just started to chew when the now pile of goo was spat back onto the plate. Venom shoved the plate of white chocolate away from them in disgust.

 

**_“GROSS EDDIE. THIS ISN’T CHOCOLATE. THIS IS A LIE! WHO IS RESPONSIBLE!? WE MUST EAT THEM!”_ **

 

“Calm your ass man, white chocolate isn’t for everyone. Give this one a try.” Eddie popped in the next sample, milk chocolate this time. “Is that better?”

 

**_“Much better! Lets try the next one!”_ **

 

They worked their way through the next few plates, Venom humming happily in the back of Eddie’s mind, his joy growing as the chocolate got steadily darker. Venom’s excitement bubbled through Eddie as they started on the darkest chocolate. Eddie choked a bit at the intense bitterness. There was almost no sugar and it covered his tongue, leaving an acrid taste that lingered. 

 

**_“OHHHHH Eddie, why haven’t we eaten this before?! It is the best.”_ ** Venom’s humming intensified and he grabbed the remaining samples and shoved the pile into their mouth. Eddie had to fight gagging at the overwhelming flavor. 

 

“If you say so, that stuff is almost as dark and bitter as my heart. You want seconds?” Eddie asked after fighting down the mass of chocolate. Venom’s unwavering blissful humming was enough of an answer, so Eddie headed back to the fountain to restock. He rounded up a few more plates and started dipping the sweetest things he could find to hopefully help balance out the gross chocolate. He felt his hand shift left. 

 

“Venom, I fucking swear, put that back right now or I’m gonna cut it off.” Eddie hissed. Venom was in the process of sneaking a thin “finger” into the stream of chocolate. Eddie felt the finger snap back into his body, leaving a smear of brown across Eddie’s hand. 

 

“Did you need something sir?” One of the catering staff was watching Eddie as he restocked rice crispy treats across the table. Another caterer handed him a box and walked away. 

 

“Oh, no sorry, just got some on my hand.” Eddie waved his now gooey hand and the caterer handed him a napkin. “Thanks man, I guess I just got excited.”

 

“I’m just glad someone is enjoying this stuff. We typically don't serve anything this dark - no one likes it because it’s far too bitter. This brand is normally only used in baking, but whoever set this shindig up insisted we have six fountains. I personally think it tastes disgusting, so more power to you for eating it.”

 

“Yeah normally I wouldn’t be touching it, but apparently I’m feeling a bit bitter and grouchy today and needed to match my mood.” Venom didn’t miss Eddie’s jab at his attitude and grumbled.

 

“Ha! I’m sure! I’m Saul by the way, let me know if I can get you anything else, ya know, like decent chocolate.”

 

“Eddie Brock. Good to meet ya.”

 

Saul’s eyes lit up. “ _ The  _ Eddie Brock?! Wow man, it’s so good to meet you! I’m a huge fan - actually- I...” 

 

“Saul! Get over here!” The other guy yelled, trying to mask his panic. 

 

“Sorry man, gotta go. Dude, what is it? What did you drop now?” Saul took off towards the kitchen, leaving Eddie alone with the chocolate. 

 

**_“Weirdo. Eddie, since he is gone, just grab a cup. I wanna drink it.”_ **

 

“Yeaaaaah no, we are  _ not  _ doing that. This stuff is terrible as a dip, I can’t imagine what it’s like on its own.”

 

**_“Wrong Eddie. It is delicious, almost as good as heads. Or spleens.”_ **

 

Eddie grunted in disgust as he sat in their corner chair. “Not the image I needed right now bud. Here you go.” He set down two plates piled high and let Venom shove a dipped strawberry in their face. “Please remember to chew.”

 

**_“Chewing is overrated, Eddie. I can make taste buds in our throat.”_ ** Eddie let out deep sigh, ready to plead for some level of normality, but Venom continued.  **_“But we won’t. We will behave.”_ **

 

Content to let his partner do most of work (and tasting), Eddie let Venom take control of their hands and mouth. Eddie watched the room. Couples were slow dancing to cliche love ballads or feeding each other dipped chocolate. Eddie suddenly felt very small and very alone. He missed the simple things about being in a relationship - the hand holding, slow dancing in the kitchen while the food burns, just being held. Apparently Venom’s dramatic mood was affecting him more than he realized. Eddie let his mind drift, dissociating from the situation and his darkening feelings. 

 

The next thing Eddie knew, he had a large cup in the fountain, filling with chocolate, and can feel more dripping down his face. His stomach felt terrible and the bitter taste was almost overwhelming. Their shared heart was beating fast in excitement and Venom was almost bursting out of their skin in pure bliss. 

 

“Hay, ah, dude, you doin’ okay?” Saul was back, holding another stack of napkins out to Eddie, who set down the cup of chocolate. “You, uh, got some on your face.”

 

Eddie wiped at his face, “Yeeahhh, yep, I ehhhh apparently really like this.” 

 

Venom stirred anxiously around Eddie’s heart. He didn't appreciate his sneaky feast being cut short and Eddie had to shove his hands in his pockets, gross napkin and all, to keep Venom from guzzling the chocolate in front of Saul.

 

“ **_Save the napkin for later, Eddie. It is covered in chocolate and I wanna eat it on the way home.”_ ** Eddie shuttered at the thought and audibly gagged. 

 

“You sure you’re okay? That’s like your third cup. We have plenty, so no worries there, but most people would be sick by now.” 

 

Eddie nodded, “Yeah, yeah I’m good. I’ve got a pretty strong stomach. This was supposed to be an interview and I am pretty sure I’ve bombed it.”

 

“I doubt that, you’re  _ the  _ Eddie Brock. Actually, I’m glad you’re still here, I wanted to talk to you about something. Have you heard about the L'appel du Vide Restaurant Group that's been opening locations like crazy around town?” Eddie nodded, Venom had read about it on some foodie blog he had gotten into that hated Bobby Flay as much as he did. “That’s who I work for. Some stuff isn’t lining up. Money is pouring in, but most of the restaurants are always empty. And most of the catering jobs they send us out on are weird as hell.”

 

“Weird? Like what?” Both Eddie and Venom’s interest had been piqued, albeit for entirely different reasons. 

 

“Having us deliver a dozen warmer boxes of food to empty warehouses and being told to just leave the boxes unlocked and come back in an hour. When we come back, one or two of the food warmer boxes are always crazy heavy and locked with new locks. Plus, some of the dudes I work with are starting to act freaky.” 

 

Suddenly the other caterer was behind them, whispering to Saul about clean up. Saul immediately put on a fake smile, but his gray eyes dimmed in fear. 

 

“It was good to meet you Eddie! I gotta get started on clean up. Don’t forget your, uhhh, drink.” And just like that Saul was off again. 

 

Eddie went back to his table and let Venom sip the cup of chocolate. “What do you think of all that bud? Should we take a look into it?”

 

**_“As long as we get to eat at Crudite, Eddie. According to Yelp, they are the only L'appel du Vide restaurant worth eating at. It’s almost a month wait to get in. Plus they specialize in -”_ **

 

“Oh Mr. Brock, there you are. I still wanted to talk to you about your next big idea.”

 

“Mrs. Black! I wanted to talk to you about that as well. I don't have much yet, but there are some new restaurants in town that I wanna look at. Some things aren’t lining up.” Eddie said, 

 

“Oh? That seems like an odd direction for you. How would you like to come in on Monday for a proper chat? Kimber, what’s my schedule Monday?”

 

“You have one opening at 11:30.” 

 

**_“Don’t do it Eddie, that's Cupcake Wars time. I need my Cupcake Wars time!”_ **

 

“I would like that very much Mrs. Black. I’ll see you then.” Eddie said as Venom sulked again, feeling ignored. Kimber took down Eddie’s information and emailed him an appointment. 

 

“ **_But Eddie...Cupcake Wars...”_ ** Venom started back on his whiny bullshit as soon as the two women said their goodbyes and went on their way. 

 

“Venom, please, this is why I pay out the ass for you to have a DVR and On Demand. You can have ‘Cupcake Wars time’ whenever you want. We are gonna have a chat about your attitude as soon as we get home.” Eddie started making his way to the doors.

 

Venom puffed up, deeply offended.  **_“Our attitude Eddie!? You are the one who as been infecting our chocolate happiness with your gross, unnecessary loneliness and anxiety. We just want -”_ **

 

“Yo’ Eddie! You should take this with you, no one around here likes it and I will just end up throwing it away.” Saul ran up and thrust a  _ HUGE  _ bucket into Eddie’s arms. It’s heavier than expected, throwing Eddie off balance. It was filled with unmelted disks of the dark chocolate. 

 

“Uggggghhh, thanks dude. I think.” 

 

“It’s my pleasure. If you wanna know more about it, the infos on the lid.” Eddie looked down, Saul’s phone number had been scrawled across the top. “Hope you enjoy!”

 

Before Eddie could respond, Saul was gone again. 

 

**_“That is a strange man, even if he gives us chocolate.”_ **

 

“I think he’s scared. Something’s really off about all this.” Luckily, everyone had basically cleared out of the building while he was talking to Mrs. Black and no one saw him struggling to carry the bucket to the elevator. 

 

Once Eddie exited the building, smooth tendrils slid between his fingers, boosting his strength and taking the brunt of the weight of the bucket. It felt like a hand holding his own. 

 

**_“I’ve got us Eddie. And for the record, your heart isn’t dark or bitter. It is perfect.”_ ** Eddie felt warmth flow between himself and Venom.

 

“You ready to go investigate some fancy ass restaurants?”

 

**_“Only if we get to eat our way through them. And any bad guys we find.”_ ** Venom said, sharp grin growing and tendrils gripping Eddie's hand tighter as they walked into the night. 

  
  



	2. It's Better Raw

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie begins his investigation into L'appel du Vide and is invited to lunch at their most popular restaurant, Crudite. Venom is very excited about the menu, Eddie really should've looked up why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all of the kind comments! I’ve added a couple notes on food terminology for reference at the end. Hope you enjoy!

“Thank you for meeting with me, Mrs. Black.” 

 

Eddie sat across from Black Star’s director, struggling to stay professional in a high-backed, wooden chair. The narrow seat was attractive, but it made him feel like he was back in school about to be lectured by his principal. To make matters worse, his suit and tie made him feel like he was choking and Venom’s twisting displeasure made Eddie want to crawl out of his skin. He had started to second guess accepting the interview, even though, logically he knew it was an opportunity he desperately needed and wanted.

 

“The pleasure is all mine, Eddie. Is it alright if I call you Eddie?” Mrs. Black flipped open her notebook and wrote something Eddie couldn’t see. 

 

“Eddie is perfect.” Eddie said, a bit too enthusiastically. Being called “Mr. Brock” hadn’t helped Eddie’s growing discomfort. She kept scribbling as he spoke, barely even sparing him a glance. 

 

“Did you enjoy the party? It’s something we like to put on every year for our employees. I was hoping for you to meet some of staff while you were there, but that didn’t seem to work out.” She underlined something twice and turned to a new page of the notebook.

 

Eddie felt himself flush in embarrassment. He had been distracted at the party by Venom’s mood and chocolate cravings. Meeting Saul had been a blessing and a curse, distracting Eddie further from meeting people, but it also presented the perfect opportunity. He had hoped his lack of socializing went unnoticed. He should have known better. The relentless sound of her pen only served to heighten Eddie’s uneasiness, scratching into the back of his head. 

 

“I, um, sorry about that, I got caught up in a phone call. I had a great time, but I guess I got wrapped up in my own brain.” Mrs. Black made another note, much longer this time.

 

“Does that happen often, getting caught up in your own head?” Her writing paused just long enough for her to grab a highlighter. Bright red. The cap made a strained  _ pop  _ as she pulled it off. 

 

“Well, I mean, doesn’t that happen to everyone?” Scratch. Scratch. Underline.  _ Highlight. _

 

“Hmm. Tell me more about this restaurant group that’s caught your attention? I quite enjoyed their catering services and Crudité. Their other locations have been extremely disappointing, but that doesn’t really warrant an investigation of any kind.” She didn’t even bother looking at Eddie, just jotting something else down as she asked. Eddie’s heart sank deeper as the red highlighter started dancing across her page. This was not going anywhere close to the direction he thought it would after their chat at the party. 

 

“Err, well, according to my source, the catering business is a front to move something around San Francisco.” 

 

Mrs. Black frowned at Eddie, circling something she had previously written. Eddie couldn’t help but imagine the page as a splattering of blood, highlighting his shortcomings in crimson. “That is very vague. Who is this source of yours?”

 

“I can’t say, but it is someone who has been dragged into things first hand.” More frowning, followed by scratch, scratch, squeeeeeak. 

 

Mrs. Black sighed , “And you’re sure it isn’t just some disgruntled employee who’s upset by having to actually do their job?”

 

Eddie shook his head. “There isn’t a reason to think that. I’ve only met them the once, but -”

 

She stopped him with the wave of her hand, still holding the red highlighter, and a deep sigh. “Eddie, if I am being honest here, having equivocal sources and making assumptions has gotten you into trouble before - New York, the Carlton Drake space program debacle last year…And now you tell me you want to launch an investigation into a multimillion dollar restaurant group, whose investors happen to include high ranking city officials, as well as  _ two _ celebrity chefs? What makes you think that it’s worth the risk of public embarrassment and even city government repercussions?” 

 

Mrs. Black stared at him, waiting for Eddie to respond. She finally paused her continuous writing for the first time since the interview at started, somehow making Eddie feel worse than when she was taking notes. He stared back in shock, not sure how to answer. People could be getting hurt, or even dying. All of it so that the rich could get richer, and all she seemed to care about was  _ embarrassment _ ? 

 

Deep in his chest, Eddie felt a familiar, hungry burn ignite. The fury writhing around his heart until it was the only feeling left, extinguishing all of the worry and anxiety that had previously taken hold.

 

Eddie was fucking  _ furious _ . 

 

So, he did what he did best, and promptly shoved his foot in his mouth and hoped for the best. Public opinion and perfect job opportunity be damned.

 

“Look, something is very,  _ very  _ wrong with L'appel du Vide. No one should be that terrified of their workplace. Companies shouldn’t be allowed to manipulate their employees or con them into doing their dirty work. They are taking advantage of hard working people who just want to make an honest living in a city where finding a real job is fucking hard enough, let alone if you are an immigrant or don’t have some fancy degree. These people can and will end up hurt if I don’t do something about it! Who gives a flying fuck if their investors think they’re untouchable. That just makes it imperative that they don’t get away with it. This needs to be investigated, so I will be looking into it, whether or not you are interested in the story, or how well you think it will go with your readers. So why don’t you put  _ that _ into your little book?” Eddie was on his feet, ready to walk away from quite possibly the last real job opportunity he would ever have.

 

The room was dead silent. Mrs. Black stared at Eddie and then at her notebook. And then she started laughing. “Now  _ there  _ is the Eddie Brock I’ve been waiting to see.”

 

“Um, what?” Eddie’s jaw could have hit the floor. He slowly lowered himself back into the horrid chair, not trusting his legs. 

 

“Come on Eddie, how could I not trust the man who exposed the Carlton Drake as the liar he was, even if your source is a gut feeling? You’ve been so damn timid since that interview, hiding behind your laptop screen, how did you put it? ‘Focusing on the written word’ was it? I needed to make sure you would be willing to get the job done. Your teenage homeless piece was good, but it was lacking the  _ soul  _ you had before.”

 

“I, errr, ah…” Eddie started to try and answer, but couldn’t find the words. 

 

That didn’t stop Mrs. Black from continuing, “I was hoping have you fill our open position full time. However, I don't appreciate the vagueness and lack of proper sources. So, let’s make this a trial run shall we? I will give you limited ,  and I do mean  _ limited _ , funds, company backing, and three weeks to get something on my desk. If it is up to Black Star’s standards, we will revisit the idea of getting you a desk here. Does that sound fair?”

 

Eddie’s heart soared even as Venom’s fell, the competing emotions making him sick, well sick _ er _ , to his stomach. 

 

“That...that’s more than fair Mrs. Black. I can’t thank you enough.” 

 

Mrs. Black stood to shake his hand and to guide Eddie to the door. 

 

“Kimber will set you up with a badge and a couple other items. Please Eddie, try not to turn this into another New York. Your work is brillant, but you yourself can be quite stupid.” And just like that, she left Eddie in front of Kimber’s desk. 

 

“Mr. Brock, here are the items Mrs. Black asked me to prepare.” Kimber handed him a thin envelope, trying to avoid eye contact. He hadn’t left the best impression the last time they met, between the weird squeaking and drinking cups of chocolate. “The elevator is down the hall, to your left.”

 

Eddie muttered his thanks, head still reeling. Not wanting to jinx himself, he hurried to the elevator and out of the building.

 

********

 

“Alright, you ready to go?” Eddie started putting on his jacket and double checked for his phone and keys. 

 

**“Yes, Eddie. The DVR is set. Don’t forget your wallet - it’s on the table.”** Venom gestured with one of the tendrils that sprouted from his noodle head. 

 

“Thanks, hon.” Eddie grabbed the wallet as Venom fully rejoined his host’s body. “Let’s get out of here.” They made their way out of their apartment and Venom’s delighted chattering serenaded them as they walked towards Crudité. 

 

Eddie sent a text to a very relieved Saul on his way home from his meeting with Mrs. Black on Monday. Saul hadn’t been in the best position to give out any more information, so instead, he invited Eddie to come have lunch Wednesday at Crudité, letting Eddie get a closer look at the inner workings of the restaurant. He also promised to get Eddie more information while there.

 

Once he had solidified his plans with Saul, Eddie called Dan. Turns out Dan was much more than just a fan of Eddie’s work, he really was just an all around solid guy who wanted to help anyone and everyone he could. So much so that during the months following the Life Foundation incident, he insisted on checking up on Eddie weekly and they had even become almost-friends. Venom had his own thoughts about this, but appreciated that Dan was genuinely trying to make sure Eddie stayed healthy. He hadn’t given Eddie too much grief over inviting Dan to Crudité. 

 

Eddie hopped on the bus to take them further downtown. Crudité was in a swanky area, and according to Venom’s food blogs, was only succeeding because of their young sous chef. Reviews reported that Nikki was “daring and adventurous in the kitchen” and “revolutionizing the world of raw food.” The chef had also won some TV show a year or so ago. 

 

Eddie spent Tuesday trying to dig up some info on L'appel du Vide without great success. He was only able to confirm what he already knew- one decent restaurant out of nine, that had all opened within a year and a half, and it was all backed by two celebrity chefs and possibly the mayor himself. 

 

Eddie moved onto to researching raw food, which got Venom all worked up and begging for a hunt. As a reward for being so well behaved during the interview the day before, Eddie obliged and quickly ran of time to do proper research. He did manage a quick Google search Wednesday morning, which defined raw food as vegan, plant based preparations that require little to no actual cooking. Frankly, it sounded revolting and Eddie couldn’t for the life of him figure out why Venom would be so excited, especially considering how he reacted to cheap bacon bits and most salads. 

 

“Care to tell me why you are so damn excited over a bunch of plants?” 

 

**_“Wait and see Eddie. Stop trying to ruin the surprise. Plus, if you watched TV with me more often you would already know.”_ ** If that didn’t make Eddie nervous enough, Venom was giddy with excitement and was growing more so the closer they got. 

 

“Fiiine...why don’t you tell me more about how restaurants work while we walk then.”

 

**_“Gordon Ramsay says that…”_ ** Eddie was happy to let Venom ramble on about the things he had learned during his YouTube and Food Network binges. Eddie would need to rely on Venom’s knowledge during their investigation if he wanted to get anywhere. 

 

A five minute hike from the bus stop, and a list of chef titles, later and they were finally there. “Only five minutes late, that's not terrible right? Let’s see of Dan is here yet.”

 

Eddie put his headphones away as they walked into the restaurant, ready to be overpowered by the aggressively herbal smell of most vegan restaurants. Strangely, he couldn’t smell a single plant, instead everything smelled faintly metallic. It was a familiar smell to Eddie, but he couldn’t quite place it. Venom rumbled in delight and hunger at the scent. 

 

The restaurant itself was painfully industrial- black and brick walls with dark wood and galvanized steel tables and chairs. A single Edison bulb hung from a cable over each table, casting dark shadows on the guests faces. Without the light from the shaded windows, Eddie wouldn’t have been able to recognize some of the same staff that had been catering the chocolate party, including the guy that keep pulling Saul away.

 

Luckily, Dan was already there and had been seated close to the kitchen doors, chatting with Saul. They waived and the host lead him over to the table. 

 

“Hay Dan, Saul.” 

 

“Eddie! Thanks for the invite, I’ve been begging Anne to come with me here for  _ ages, _ but she said she couldn’t stomach the idea of eating this much raw stuff in a go.” Dan’s smile was as warm as always. 

 

Eddie sat as he chuckled. “I thought Anne would be into the healthy stuff like this? All of the vegetables and shit?” Saul shot Eddie a bewildered look and handed him a menu. Of course, he couldn’t understand a word of it. Venom was dizzy with excitement and if he knew what any of the dishes were, he didn’t care to share with Eddie. 

“Uh, yeah I guess she could be? Saul was just telling me that they have a special chef-directed five-course experience today that he highly recommends. I think that's what I wanna do. What do you think?” Dan handed his menu back to Saul, who looked at Eddie expectantly. 

 

**_“DO IT EDDIE!”_ **

 

“ _ YEP _ ! Perfect! Yeah, that's exactly what we’ll do.” Eddie really should just expect Venom’s shouting at this point instead of just squeaking every time it happens. They really couldn’t afford letting Dan find out. Saul took Eddie’s menu and took their order back to the kitchen.

 

“You okay?” Dan was staring at Eddie, concerned.

 

“Oh yeah, doing great! Ready to eat a bunch of plants. Yum!”

 

“Eddie, you do know what this restaurant is known for right?” 

 

“Yeah, of course, raw food, which according to two minutes of Googling this morning is basically veganized sadness masquerading as food, right?”

 

“Yeah, no, none of that is right -”

 

“Good afternoon sirs, I am Dominique and I will be your  sommelier today. I understand you both chose the chef’s special, is that correct?” Eddie nodded as Dan agreed that was right. “Perfect! As part of your tasting experience, I have chosen a wine per course to complement the unique flavor profiles of each dish. I have chosen this Sauvignon Blanc to pair with your first course. May I pour?”

 

**_“Noooooo, Eddie, order something red. Red is better.”_ **

 

Dan gestured for  Dominique  to pour for him. Eddie wasn’t quite sure how to tell her no, so he went to do the same. 

 

**_“RED EDDIE!”_ **

 

“Uhhhh, you know, I am really much more of a red wine guy. Can I get some of that?”  Dominique  looked at him, horrified. Eddie had no idea what he was talking about, and it showed.

 

“Sir, you should trust me on this. I have hand picked every wine for today's menu. A red will not pair with the first course. You should give this a try.”

 

“I uhhhh, I guess…” 

 

**_“DON’T YOU DARE EDDIE. GET THE RED.”_ **

 

Eddie felt panic creeping back into his heart, not wanting to have to argue with the wine expert and not wanting to piss off Venom. He kept mumbling “But, I…just...”

 

“He really doesn’t enjoy anything white. I am sure you have something that would be suitable?” Dan interjected, saving Eddie from his struggle.  Dominique  looked at Dan, and than back at Eddie, still obviously disgusted by Eddie’s request. 

 

“Very  _ well  _ sir. Let me see what I can find.” She stormed off towards the wine cellar. Venom buzzed happily with getting his way.    
  


“I didn’t really peg you as being picky about wine, Eddie. That was almost painful to watch.” Dan said, sipping his wine. 

“I’m really more of a beer guy truth be told. But, if I am gonna drink rotten grape juice, it may as well be something I like.” 

 

**_“Eddie, tell Dan we appreciate him helping get the good stuff.”_ **

 

“I do really appreciate the save though. She’s kind of aggressive.” 

 

“Well, here she comes, get ready.” Dan put on his charming smile and Eddie tried to follow suit. It was definitely more of a grimace. 

 

“Sir, I hope this Burgundy is red enough for your sensitive pallet. It is one of the few reds I would ever try to pair with a tartare course.”  Dominique’s  fake perkiness and sharp smile did nothing to hide her dagger glare. 

 

**_“Perfect.”_ **

 

“That’s perfect, thank you. I really appreciate it.”  Dominique  poured the wine, still glaring, and walked away. Eddie took a sip, it was actually quite tasty. He could get used to this.

 

Dan started asking Eddie about how he had been feeling lately and then moved on to weird things at the hospital. He was trying to figure out which of the nursing staff could be talking various supplies from their storerooms and why. It was mostly small things like gauze and bandages, which didn’t seem like that big of a deal to Eddie, who let his mind wander back to what  Dominique  had said the first course would be. Something about tartare. Eddie was sure he had heard that before, but couldn’t place it. 

 

Eddie found out soon enough, when Saul brought two small plates to their table. Each plate featured a circular mound of what Eddie first assumed to be some kind of beet or other red vegetable, dressed in brown sauce, garnished with tiny greens and a small stack of some type of chips balanced on top. 

 

“For your first course, locally sourced bluefin tartare, prepared with a spicy miso soy dressing, micro herbs and house made thick cut potato chips.  Crudité  only uses the best local ingredients, and I can provide a list of all of our trusted vendors.”

 

“Thank you Saul, that would be  _ very  _ helpful.” Eddie said as he stared at the dish of food. It didn’t look like a vegetable, microgreens notwithstanding. What the hell kind of vegetable is bluefin? And it sure didn’t smell like a plate of plants. It smelled so familiar, it was driving him crazy with hunger.

 

Venom was drooling, ready to feast, letting more of his excitement and anticipation swirl through Eddie, all infused with impressions of memories. 

 

Suddenly, Eddie remembered exactly where he heard the word tartare, his mind flashing back to a lazy Sunday a few weeks prior, when Eddie was zoning out at his laptop while Venom intently watched a  _ Chopped  _ rerun. 

 

_ “Chefs, I have made for you a tartare of beef tenderloin, topped with duck egg yoke and a black garlic aioli. Served with kettle style rainbow carrot chips for dipping.” A tall young woman stood in front of two sharply dressed men and Martha Stewart of all people, her head held high and eyes confident.  _

 

_ “Chef Nikki, the ceviche tacos of your first course where very successful, but don’t you think doing a second raw preparation is playing it safe?” Martha stared down the young woman, taking a bite of what looked like red mush topped with raw egg.  _

 

_ The young woman- Nikki- didn’t even blink.“Playing it safe is what happens when you pan fry and add potatoes to everything you’re handed because it’s what your fancy culinary school told you to do.” She looked at her two male competitors, who both had made pan fried tenderloin and some type of mashed potato.  _

 

_ “I wanted to give you a dish that would stand out from my competitors, and so yes, I played to my strengths. And my strengths don’t let me ‘play it safe’.”  _

 

The realization of what was happening slowly seeped through Eddie. Blood. He had been smelling the lingering smell of raw meat and blood when they walked in the door. 

 

No wonder Venom was so happy, and no wonder he didn’t want Eddie to know what was coming. It was everything the Symbiote could ever want.

 

“Oh,  _ god _ . It’s all raw  _ meat _ . Google has betrayed me.” Eddie whispered at the offending plate. 

 

Dan laughed, “For being an investigative reporter, you sure suck at knowing what everyone in San Francisco knows. Don’t you watch  _ Chopped?” _

 

**_“Can we please get to the eating part?”_** Venom hummed through Eddie, as close to the surface as he could get. Eddie picked up a forkful of tuna and brought it towards his mouth. 

 

**_“No Eddie, put the tuna on the chip, like a cracker.”_ ** Eddie sighed at the forkful of fish and did as instructed, knowing Venom was probably right. He slowly raised the chip to his mouth and, tired of waiting, Venom shoved the entire thing into their face. 

 

Flavor burst across their shared palate. The tuna was fresh and tasted faintly of the ocean, while the soy and miso dressing added the perfect balance of sweet and salty, with a light punch of heat on the tailend. The chip was almost flavorless, simply adding the right amount of texture to cut through the softness of the tartare. Eddie almost moaned at how good it was. He liked sushi well enough, but this was something else entirely. 

 

“Mmmmm...This...this is  _ really  _ good.” Eddie said to Dan between mouthfuls. Venom was over the moon, happy enough with Eddie’s pace that he just let Eddie eat.

 

Dan chuckled as he watched Eddie shovel the tartare laden crisps into his mouth. It was a bit terrifying how fast Eddie was able to devour the plate of food, and he could have sworn that Eddie was about to start licking his plate when they were again interrupted.

 

“Woah, way to clean that plate Eddie.” Saul stood next to him, holding out an elegant piece of cardstock with a list of names and phone numbers titled ‘ L'appel du Vide’s Trusted Vendors.’ Eddie took the list and noticed that small stars had been scribbled next to some of names.

 

“What can I say? This is  _ delicious _ .” Eddie set down his fork, letting Saul take the now very clean plate. “What else do you have for us?” 

 

“I’ll let the kitchen know you’re ready for your next course. Dominique will be back shortly as well to get you your next wine.” Dan handed over his mostly empty plate and Saul headed off again, giving Eddie a minute to look over the list as he finished the rest of the wine. It was delicious and he was heartbroken once the glass was empty.

 

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary about the names and websites on the list, most of them being things like ‘Johnson & Daughters Fishing Co.’ or ‘Maddie Bee’s Honey and Wax.’ Even the starred names seemed mundane. 

 

“Whaddya think Eddie? They all sound normal to me.” Dan had been reading the list from across the table. 

 

“I agree. I’ll have to dig around a bit more. I’m not even sure that this kind of vendor information is going to help me very much.” Eddie looked up to see Dominique coming towards them, holding a bottle of wine by the neck like her life depended on it in one hand and two new glasses in the other. “Oh, great here comes our favorite wine expert. Do most people hold bottles like that?” 

 

“Not that I’ve ever seen, no.” 

 

_**“Eddie, get more of the Burgundy.”** _ Eddie was in complete agreement and steeled himself for another confrontation. 

 

She strode up their table, setting down the glasses in a smooth, practiced motion and then basically slammed the wine down. “I trust that you have found you meal enjoyable thus far. For your second course, I recommend this expressive, light Chardonnay. The aromas of lemon, pineapple, and the bright acidity will pair brilliantly with the shellfish of the ceviche course. I will now pour.” She poured for Dan and reached to start pouring for Eddie, who shifted the glass away.

 

“Um, if it is all the same to you miss, I would really like more of the Burgundy.” She grunted, obviously furious that her pour and run tactic didn’t work. 

 

“I guess if you think that will taste good with shrimp, why the hell not.” She grabbed the bottle of Chardonnay and left. 

 

“Well, I guess that could’ve been worse?” Dan said, sipping at the new wine. 

 

“I guess. I wouldn’t be surprised if she tried to poison me at some point.”

 

**_“Don’t worry, Eddie. If she tried, we would eat her even though she probably tastes bad with all of the rotten grape juice she drinks.”_ ** Eddie failed to stifle his laugh and Dan gave him a puzzled look.

 

“Sorry, it was funnier in my head. Sweet, Saul’s back. I hope this is as good as the first course.”

 

Saul placed new plates, this time square, in front of each of them. Small racks held five tiny taco shaped shells upright, each stuffed full of white meat and sauce. It smelled zesty and vibrant, full of citrus. Eddie couldn’t wait to dig in. 

 

“Today’s second course is sustainably farmed grass shrimp ceviche, marinated in Leche de Tigre, served on house made puffy corn tortilla shells. You will find that the shrimp are sweet and succulent, while… ” 

 

Dominique strutted up next Saul while he was giving his description, Burgundy bottle in hand. She poured a very small amount into Eddie’s glass while she glared at Eddie and walked away, all while Saul continued on about the shrimp and marinade.

 

“...You can find more information regarding the shrimp farming techniques on the suppliers website.” Saul pointed at one of the started names. “They make  _ loads  _ of deliveries to us weekly.” 

 

“Thank you Saul, I’ll have to take a look.” 

 

“Let me know if I can get you anything else!” Saul walked away towards the kitchen. 

 

**_“That’s not enough wine Eddie. She jipped us. Now can we eat her?”_ ** Eddie just shoved a bite of taco into his mouth to pacify Venom. 

 

He didn’t think it was possible, but the taco was better than it smelled. Whatever the hell Leche de Tigre was, it was amazing. As advertised, the shrimp were sweet and the sauce was full of lime and chili. The puffy corn tortilla was crispy, almost flaky. It added much needed fat to the otherwise clean tasting dish. Eddie could do little to hide Venom’s moan as he took his second bite, and the third. 

 

Dan was just kind of staring at Eddie eat again. It was animalistic in a way, like he couldn’t get it in his mouth fast enough. “You liking that Eddie?” 

 

“Dan, this is so damn delicious. We should eat this all of the time.” Eddie had already inhaled most of his plate and was ready to start on the last taco. 

 

“It is very good. I can see where the chef’s reputation came from.” Dan ate his third taco while Eddie started scraping at the plate under the rack, trying to get every last possible crumb he could. 

 

Dan lowered his voice and asked, “Hay Eddie, what do you think they are moving using the caterers? It seems like an odd way to move drugs.” 

 

Eddie looked up at Dan, disheartened at being distracted from his quest for crumbs. He thought about it for a moment before responding, equally softly. “Honestly, I’ve been thinking the same thing. Why go through all of the trouble of having the caterers do it, when a simple drop would suffice? Why would the catering boxes be full when they pick them up instead of empty? I really need to get closer to the catering supplies and the warehouses where they are doing the drops. We may be looking at money laundering too. There are enough empty restaurants to hide an operation like that. From what I have gathered, they don’t run the catering out of Crudité, but out of one of the almost closed restaurants closer to the Bay. There’s probably information more there.”

 

“Do you think we should get the police involved? This sounds bad Eddie.” Dan was obviously concerned, and he had every right to be.

 

“Nah man, I have been doing this for long enough to know that the police won’t do anything until it’s ready to blow up in their faces. Plus, you know me, I can handle whatever gets thrown at me.” Eddie smiles, Venom’s promise of  _ ‘I’ve got us…’  _ echoing in his heart. “It’s gonna take more than some stupidly posh hipster restaurants to take us out.” 

 

“Eddie, please don’t be stupid. I don’t really want to fish you out the the Bay again, actually dead this time.”

 

**_“Dan didn’t ‘fish you out’ the first time!”_ **

 

“Hay! You didn’t fish me out.” Venom spread his smugness across Eddie’s chest, glowing with pride that they had been able to pull Eddie’s body from the water, even with the damage from the fire. 

 

“Annie is the one who found me after the explosion-” **_“Wrong! We pulled you out!”_** “-and the Life Foundation lackeys got both of us to the hospital.” 

**_“IT WAS US EDDIE. YOU ARE ALIVE BECAUSE OF US.”_ **

 

“I  _ KNOW _ !” Eddie hissed, startling Dan. Eddie’s frustration echoed into Venom, who reflected wounded anger back. Eddie sighed, covering his outburst by continuing. “I know Dan, you basically brought me back from the dead, like twice. But, you gotta trust me. I’ve got this under control. It’s what I do, and frankly I am damn good at it.” 

 

Dan sighed, not satisfied, but knowing it was an argument he could never win. “Eddie, promise me if it gets to be too much you’ll call the police?”

 

“It’s gonna be fine, but sure, I’ll get help if shit goes south.” They fell into an uncomfortable silence as Eddie finished his tiny glass of wine and Dan ate his last taco. 

 

“Hay Eddie, sorry to interrupt, but I thought you may want this.” Saul handed Eddie a slip of paper that had been torn from something larger and leaned closer to explain. “It’s a short list of the restaurant's backers. Well, the ones I know about anyways...” Saul picked up their empty plates. “I’ll be right back with your third course.” 

 

Eddie and Dan hunched over the new list. Most of the names were unfamiliar, but a couple of them were people Eddie  _ definitely  _ had heard of, and even interviewed once or twice. 

 

“Well, that's one good reason not to involve the police yet. This guy is one of the SFPD captains and these people are in some part of the mayor’s office. I can’t remember which, that whole system is completely fucked. I hate that place.” 

 

“As much as you hate the girl walking towards us?”

 

“ _ God _ .” Eddie buried his head in his hands. This whole experience was exhausting. Eddie’s head was starting to pound with the constant fluctuation between the pure bliss of eating and the absolute horror of dealing with a) the wine girl, b) Dan’s nagging and c) Venom’s mood fluctuations and yelling. He was considering just going with whatever she wanted to give him this time to save himself a bit of frustration. 

 

**_“Eddie, please can we get some more of that Burgundy? It is our favorite.”_ ** How was Eddie supposed to say no to that, especially after snapping earlier? And it tasted  _ so damn good. _

 

Another bottle of white was in her hands and she started to pour into Eddie’s glass before even saying anything. “Your next course is pork based, and so I am recommending a complex Riesling. It’s sweetness and hints of apple and pear complement the spicy sauces and smoky finish of the pork.” After finishing pouring for Dan, she moved to scramble away and Eddie’s hand moved on it’s own, grabbing her wrist. 

 

**“NO!”**

 

_ “Venom, let her go! Come on love, we only hurt bad people.”  _ Eddie thought at Venom as hard as he could, fighting back at the control, hoping just this once Venom could hear his direct thoughts. 

 

Sadness and regret washed over Eddie, who couldn’t tell if it was his own or Venom’s. Either way, Venom let go. The whole incident had only lasted two seconds, but it was enough to startle Dan and really infuriate Dominique.

 

“Please, I know it’s unusual, but can I please just have a glass of the Burgundy? I really enjoy it.” 

 

“FINE!” She left again, and basically stomped her way to and from the wine cellar. At least this time she gave him at least half a glass before marching away. 

 

“Wow, uh Eddie. What was that?” Dan was staring again. 

 

_ Shit. Shit. SHIT.  _ Had they really been that obvious? Venom hadn’t actually made an appearance, so maybe, just maybe Eddie could get them out of this. 

 

“It uh, just, I didn’t know what else to do? I really don’t like anything white and she just poured it, full well knowing that.” 

 

“We both know that's not how I meant it Eddie. What’s with the voice change?” Damn. Maybe they had been that obvious. 

 

“I uhhhh, don’t know what you mean Dan. You’ve seen me do interviews, sometimes I just lose my cool.” 

 

“ _ Sure _ Eddie. We can play it that way.” Dan replied completely level and blank faced. Eddie knew he was screwed. Panic and distress flooded their bond, an ambiguous dark mass of emotions. 

 

**_“Eddie, he knows. You should just tell him.”_ ** Eddie knew Venom was probably right, but telling Dan meant telling Anne and he didn’t know if he could handle betraying her again. Eddie had no desire to reconnect romantically to Anne, but he sure didn’t want to hurt her. More grief and worry flowed around his chest. 

 

Dan was still staring and finally sighed, his shoulders sagged in frustrated defeat. “Eddie, it’s fine. Let’s just enjoy the meal and focus on your case. And look at that, Saul is finally bringing the pork course.” 

 

“I apologize for the delay guys. This course is unique and takes a bit longer to prepare. Crudité is the only restaurant in the area legally allowed to serve pork carpaccio.” He placed the dishes on the table. “In order to prevent the diseases that have been previously associated with raw pork, Nikki treats the pork with a special technique. It is gently heated in a sous vide water bath until just warm enough to remove any potential bacteria and then flash chilled to keep the integrity and tenderness of the meat. The paper thin pork is then layered with shaved raw fennel in a warm dressing of smoked pureed apple and spices. The result is reminiscent of grandma’s applesauce and pork chops. Without the overcooked chops, of course.” 

 

**_“Finally Eddie. Real meat!”_** Again, the smell sent both Venom and Eddie into a near frenzy. 

 

“Thanks Saul. This looks as amazing as everything else.” Eddie tried to keep his cool as they ate the first piece. Of course, it was incredible. The meat was perfectly tender and the sauce added a deep fruity richness that lingered. Even the anise undertones of the raw fennel created another depth of sweetness that cut through the meat’s metallic qualities. Eddie took another bite and let Venom’s glee wash over them both. 

 

**_“Sooo delicious Eddie! Better than spleens.”_ **

 

“Much better than spleens!” Dan’s fork hit his plate as the doctor choked. 

 

“NOT THAT I WOULD KNOW!” Eddie forced himself to laugh while Dan faked a small laugh.

 

**_“Better be careful Eddie, he’s not as dumb as you.”_ ** Venom teased.

 

The rest of the course went by almost without incident. To try and cut the tension, Dan started asking Eddie about Black Star and the various articles he had done for them. Eddie told him about the chocolate fountain party while Venom drooled over the memory, omitting the cups of chocolate incident. 

 

When the plate was clean, Eddie had to shove his hands in his pockets in an attempt to keep Venom from licking the plate. Not that Eddie would have minded licking the plate clean, the pork was delectable and left Eddie wanting  _ more. _

 

A waiter Eddie didn’t recognize came by to collect their dishes. Dan started asking Eddie about his lifestyle - if he was working out, getting enough to eat and the like. Before he could answer, Eddie glanced up and noticed Dominique was on her way back. Instead of a wine bottle, she was carrying a smaller silver tray covered with a very tall lid.

 

“Does that look odd, Dan?”

 

“Uh, well, it sure isn’t normal.”

 

In only the way Dan ‘Coolest Dude Ever’ Lewis could, Dan smiled widely and greeted the obviously still fuming young woman. “Hi Dominique, what delightful recommendation do you have for us this time? I understand that the final savory course is beef based, so can I assume we are finally moving from whites to red?”

 

“That would normally correct, however, to help counteract the richness of this beef course, I am recommending this lovely Rosé . I hope it’s  _ just red enough for you. _ ” She slammed down the tray, scowling at Eddie while she removed the lid to reveal two already poured glasses of light pink wine. Leaving the tray itself, she bolted as fast as she could, disappearing behind the kitchen doors, almost taking out a startled Saul out in the process. 

 

“Oh, she’s making things up now. There is no way in hell a Rosé pairs with the next course. You must have really set her off.” Dan laughed, handling the situation better than Eddie could ever hope to at this point. 

 

All Eddie could do was shrug apologetically at Dan while Venom started screaming in his head to eat her brain  **_“...because obviously she doesn’t use it!!!”_ **

 

Saul made his way to their table with their final savory course. He looked at the two glasses of Rosé and then at Eddie. “Um, well that doesn’t look right, especially with your penchant for the Burgundy. Did you guys ask for Rosé for this course?”

 

**“No!** ” - “I mean, no we didn’t. She just left it on the table and ran off.” Venom was livid and Eddie couldn’t completely stop him from taking it out on Saul.

 

Saul groaned. “Dominique is back at it I see. How she is able to keep this job is beyond me. Let me go and talk to her. Let me take the silver tray.” He switched the tray for two plates loaded with .

 

“For your final savory course, Chef Nikki’s signature dish, which she simply calls ‘Chopped.’ Fresh beef tenderloin, delicately minced and mixed with red onion and capers, topped with a duck egg yoke that has been flash cured in salt, leaving the runny texture while enhancing the flavor of the yoke and entire dish. Served with a garlic aioli and toast points. Now, let me go see about some wine.” 

 

The plate itself was a simple large, white round. In the dead center, a thick disc of deep red tartare sat atop a pool of pale yellow aioli. The duck egg yoke was perched on top of the disc, the salt crust slightly shimmery. Six triangles of crusty toasted bread fanned artistically out along one side of the plate. It was beautiful. Even Venom went quiet in awed anticipation. 

 

Eddie took a deep breath, the smell of raw and blood and meat was intoxicating, making Eddie’s head swim. He grabbed a fork, ready to start digging in. 

 

Venom whispered  **_“Eddie, can I do it please? I know how it will taste best. You will love it.”_ **

 

Venom’s sincerity reverberated throughout Eddie. It wasn’t the best idea, Dan was already suspicious and Venom was never one for subtlety. 

 

“ **_I will be calm, promise. I wanna try something.”_ ** The quiet plea was so uncharacteristic, it took Eddie by surprise. Venom was always one to just take what he wanted. This was something new. 

 

Eddie simply whispered “Okay...” at his plate, and let go. 

 

Venom delicately broke the egg yoke, letting it pool over the sides of the tartare and gently breaking apart the disc so that the yoke and aioli mixed into the meat. He was careful to keep the sauce away from the toast, making sure it didn’t become soggy prematurely. Once satisfied with the yoke and sauce distribution, Venom picked up a toast point and spooned on a generous portion of tartare. 

 

When Venom ate in full form and control, the gnawing, sharp hunger was all consuming, pushing Eddie to the background until he lost himself in Venom’s need to consume. Once Venom was finished, Eddie was only left with the vague impressions of  _ satisfaction  _ and  _ less hungry _ . Eddie had suspicions that Venom pushed his consciousness into this void to protect him after how Eddie reacted to eating people during their first joy ride. 

 

There had been exceptions, such as the asshole that was threatening Mrs. Chen, when Eddie was completely present, but even then Venom was the one that actually  _ ate  _ the guy, absorbing the mass before Eddie could taste a thing. Eddie had no idea how any of that even worked, just that it did and it was probably best not to think too hard about it. 

 

Eddie expected to not be able to taste much of anything when Venom took their first bite. Instead, the explosion of flavor and  _ emotion  _ that washed over his heart and mind was nothing like the void of hunting.

 

It was tasting and  _ feeling  _ all at once. Joy and fondness intertwined with silkiness from the egg yolk and the briny pops of the capers. The intense sweetness and copper undertones of the meat itself manifested as a rush of love, devotion, and even peace. Eddie didn’t know what was happening, but he never wanted it to stop. 

 

**_“Told you it would be good, Eddie.”_ ** Venom’s satisfaction and pride entangled further into the mix. Eddie’s heart felt like it was going to burst with the pure euphoria, leaving him feeling more  _ alive  _ than ever before. 

 

By the fourth bite, Eddie could feel tears forming in the corners of his eyes.

 

“Wow Eddie, I know it’s good, but are you actually  _ crying _ ?” Dan asked, pulling Eddie out of his revere. 

 

Venom grudgingly gave control back to Eddie so he could answer Dan. “It’s so much better than  _ good _ . It makes me feel  _ alive _ , if that makes any sense.” 

 

“Truthfully, no, not at all.” 

 

“I don’t know Dan, it’s just, so damn perfect _. _ ” Eddie shrugged at his plate, hoping this would satisfy Dan enough to let Venom take back over. 

 

Dan, it seemed, had other plans. “So Eddie, have you been seeing anyone lately?”

 

Eddie choked on his toast and tried to take a sip of the Rosé . It really was foul. He stared at the offending drink in disgust, avoiding Dan’s eyes.

 

“Ah, no, not really. Why do you ask?”

 

“Couldn’t help but notice you seem happier the past few weeks. Plus, you’re always on the phone.”

 

“Oh, well, you know, trying to get a job takes making a bunch of calls.” 

 

“You really call your potential bosses ‘love’ and ‘hon’? That seems a bit much.” 

 

“Well, anything to get the job, I guess?” Eddie was grasping at straws and Venom was cackling at Eddie’s attempts to keep ahead of Dan. 

 

**_“Told you Eddie, he’s smarter than you.”_ **

 

“Sure, Eddie.”

 

“Dan, I’m really not dating anyone.”

 

“Okay, Eddie, if you say so. But, when you’re ready to be honest, bring them to our place for dinner. Anne and I would like to meet them.” 

 

**_“You should accept Eddie so you can tell them. Plus, free food is the best.”_ **

 

“ _ Not happening _ .” Eddie spat at Venom and Dan. “Can I please eat?”

 

Dan chuckled, “Fine, fine...” 

 

Eddie continued to make perfect little bites of tartare on toast, trying to recapture the sensation he had when Venom was in control, with limited success. It was still there, only muted, like someone had put a piece of glass between him and the feeling. With Dan grilling him on his love life, he couldn’t risk letting Venom take over again. 

 

Even though he wasn’t in control, Venom was pushing happy feelings at Eddie as they finished off the food and Dan moved on to talking about a surgery that went wrong last week before letting things slip into an uncomfortable silence. Eddie was devastated once it was gone and Venom stopped sharing his joy. 

 

Soon enough, Saul came and picked up the empty plates. “Hay guys, I’m still working on that wine. We haven’t been able to find the Burgundy you like Eddie, even though inventory says we have like three bottles of it somewhere. I’ll be back with dessert shortly, and if not the Burgundy, I’ll grab something red for you.”

 

Eddie kept trying to sip the Rosé to avoid talking, but Venom kept pushing it away in disgust. The result was Eddie picking up the glass every five seconds just to smell it and put it back down. Dan had finished his and was pretending to read his emails while he watched Eddie fight with the wine glass. Both felt relief when Saul came back through the kitchen doors. 

 

The dessert dish was simple, a chocolate brown dome sat on a clean while plate, no frills or fuss. 

 

“Gentlemen, your dessert course- soft chocolate mousse bomb, filled with a red wine  gelée core  and mixed berry compote, topped with a tempered chocolate shell. The base is a house made chocolate cookie, lightly spiced with cinnamon and chili to cut the sweetness. Eddie, for you, we had the pastry chef whip up a special version with the dark chocolate you like so much. Dan, please enjoy the version that normal people eat, made with bittersweet chocolate.” 

 

Saul waved over a young server that was carrying a familiar bottle of wine. “And of course, a good Burgundy to complete your experience. Alex, please leave the bottle for these gentlemen.” Alex left the full bottle and Saul whispered “We found it under a pile of tablecloths in the back.”

 

Eddie snorted out a laugh. Venom’s mirth was bubbling under Eddie’s skin, eager to start in on the wine and chocolate. It was infectious.

 

“What happened to Dominique?” Dan asked as Saul poured the wine. 

 

“Pretty sure she didn’t want to face you, knowing that the wine you’ve been wanting to drink all day is what she would have had to give with dessert. Once we found the bottles, she stormed off and told Alex to take over. She’s probably throwing a fit in one of the coolers again. She’s a bit, shall we say, testy?”

 

“I probably would’ve said batshit, but that’s just me, huh Saul?” The tall young woman from  _ Chopped  _ loomed over the table, casually draping her arm over Saul’s shoulders, further accentuating her height. “You must be Eddie Brock, and Dan, right? I’m Nikki, the sous chef. Saul here wanted me to meet you, but I wasn’t sure about you, so I asked him to have you come in so I could judge for myself. Anyone that eats my food with that kind of enthusiasm must be alright.”

 

“It's easy to be enthusiastic over something this good. Honestly, it was some of the best food we’ve had, ever.” Eddie genuinely felt that way, and if Venom’s contented wiggling in his chest was anything to judge, he couldn’t agree more. 

 

Her eyes softened as she gave Eddie a huge smile. “Thank you. It’s a niche dining experience that not everyone appreciates.” The smile turned into a small frown. “If I didn’t love what I do and  _ most  _ of the people I work with, I would have left this kitchen a long time ago.” She glanced at Saul, who gave her a bittersweet smile and squeezed her arm in comfort. 

 

“What makes you say that?” Eddie asked. Saul and Nikki looked around the dining room and then at each other, obviously worried about someone in the restaurant. Eddie made the split second decision to take a different approach. 

 

“Actually, I would love to interview you for an article I’m writing on how fine dining is changing in the area. Do you have a few minutes for a statement?” Hopefully disguising the investigation as another run of the mill foodie article would make the situation safer for the employees. It would also give Eddie an excuse for being around Saul and Nikki in the future. 

 

Saul caught on quick. “We’re kind of in the middle of service for the day, so the staff wouldn’t be able to help.” He glanced at Nikki, who was still looking around the restaurant at various staff. 

 

“Saul’s right, there’s no way today would work. But, it would be an honor to have you interview the staff for your article.” She paused, deep in thought. Her eyes lit up as she watched one of the staff exit the back rooms. “Ah! I know, why don’t you come to family meal tomorrow morning. The staff for the day gets together to eat and prepare for the day’s service.”

 

**_“YESSS EDDIE SAY YES!”_ **

 

“That sounds perfect. What time do I need to be here?” 

 

**_“YEAAAAASSSSS!”_ ** Joy danced through Eddie as Venom did their own version of a happy dance in his stomach. 

 

“Humm, 9:30 sound good?” Eddie nodded in agreement and Nikki continued, “Perfect! Saul, would you let everyone on the schedule know we are having family meal a bit early? Also, tell Cam and Aubrey I am switching their shifts. Cam will be pissed about having to work Friday, but he’ll survive. Or better yet, quit. And tell Dominique to just come for the dinner shift. We can survive a lunch service without her and her bitchy attitude.” 

 

Saul pulled his body away from Nikki’s arm that was still slung over him. “You betcha! I’ll go tell Cam, I love making his day.” He grinned wickedly and turned to Eddie and Dan. “Well guys, enjoy the rest of your dessert! Enjoy the dark chocolate Eddie, I don’t wanna see you drinking it straight again anytime soon.” He waved as he walked away, clearly pleased with his assignment. 

 

“Well, okay then. I’m gonna get back to the kitchen before all hell breaks loose. See you tomorrow Eddie. It was good to meet you too Dan!” Nikki said, walking back towards the kitchen.

 

“See ya!” Eddie gave a small wave and picked up his spoon to start in on the dessert. He wasn’t exactly thrilled at eating the dark chocolate again, but, hopefully, it would be as delicious as everything else. 

 

Eddie broke open the chocolate shell, the rich, fruity smell intoxicating as he watched the compote bleed out of the middle of the soft mousse. The thick wine  gelée core was bright red against the dark brown of the chocolate and he cookie was surprisingly soft, easily breaking under gentle pressure. 

 

He composed a small bite with a bit of each component and braced himself against the bitterness he remembered. 

 

Instead of the assault he had been expecting, beautiful, silky smooth chocolate swept over Eddie’s tongue, leaving an impression of love and affection that made Eddie’s heart swell. It wasn’t the overwhelming wave from earlier, but it was definitely stronger than when Eddie had finished the beef tartare. He couldn’t help but smile as he continued to work his way through the layers of dessert. 

 

The Burgundy blended perfectly with the mousse, boosting both the flavor and emotion of the chocolate. Venom fed off of Eddie’s feelings, echoing them back stronger. Before long, it was hard to tell were Eddie’s emotions ended and Venom’s began. Eddie’s smile grew, possibly a bit sharper than he would have liked. 

 

“You know Eddie, this wasn’t near as bad as the whole Lobster Incident of 2018, but do you guys ever just have a normal lunch out?” Dan asked, taking a bite of the chocolate mousse. 

 

“It’s why we live off of take out and tater tots, Dan.” Eddie quipped back before realizing what Dan had actually said. Dan  _ knew. _

 

Eddie put down the spoon and stared at the dessert, appetite gone. He had betrayed Anne again, and not only hurt her, but Dan as well. Crushing guilt crept up Eddie’s chest and throat choking out the whatever happiness he had felt before and making it impossible to breath. 

 

“Dan, I, uh, we...well,  _ shit _ ...” 

 

Dan started laughing, stopping Eddie from digging himself deeper. 

 

“It’s okay Eddie, Anne and I figured it out when you didn't die in flaming glory, or drown after falling a few hundred feet. Plus, you aren’t very good at hiding your conversations, even with the headphones. You may want to try, I don’t know, actually plugging them into your phone sometime.” 

 

“Oh  _ God _ .” Eddie buried his face into his hands, trying to keep his breathing level. 

 

**_“Told you he would figure it out.”_ **

 

“ _ Shit _ , Venom, you aren't helping anything.” Eddie whispered, mortified, while Dan just laughed some more. 

 

“Really, Eddie, it’s fine. We kinda figured you would tell us when you were ready. But, it’s been months and you still haven’t said anything. Anne was starting to really worry and you’re absolutely terrible at hiding it, so I applied a bit of pressure today. Not that it took very much, you guys obviously have some shit to work out.” 

 

“And here I thought you were supposed to be like, the nicest guy ever.” 

 

“Even kind people have their limits, mine just happens to be being lied to for  _ months  _ while my girlfriend panics about her ex’s internal organs being eaten by an intergalactic parasite.”

 

**_“PARAsiTE! I am not a parasite! He is the parasite, ruining our chocolate!”_ **

 

Eddie took a deep breath, pushing aside Venom’s mostly insincere anger and his own anxiety. “He isn’t a parasite, Dan. He put me,  _ us,  _ back together. It took weeks and, like, a hundred pounds of chocolate to fix us, but  _ we  _ did it. Together. I’m sorry I lied to you, but I couldn’t, and won’t, let anything separate us again. I knew you would worry he was hurting me after everything that happened.”

 

**_“Would never hurt my Eddie.”_ **

 

“Of course we are going to worry about you. Have you seen yourself? You are kind of a walking disaster. A somewhat functional disaster, but a disaster nonetheless.”

 

“Are you going to tell Annie?”

 

“Pushing you was her idea, so yeah, I am going to tell her.”

 

“Oh lord, she’s gonna kill us.” Eddie’s anxiety and guilt flooded back in, threatening to choke him.

 

**_“No! We may like her, but we would eat her first!”_ **

 

“Don’t you  _ dare _ say that! She brought you back to me after the hospital. She is the reason we are here together.  _ So don’t you dare go there. _ ” Eddie seethed, his remorse pulling tighter as he thought about what she had done for them and how he had repeatedly let her and Dan down. 

 

“Guys, calm down. She’s not gonna kill you. Guilting you into coming to dinner, sure, but she isn’t going to kill you. Eddie, look at me. You need to drop the martyr attitude. She knew. I knew. Not telling us was a dick move, but it’s done. Time to move on, ‘kay?” 

 

“Yeah, okay.” Eddie nodded, trying to let some of the guilt and anxiety go. Venom wrapped his own feelings around Eddie’s, silent promises of comfort telling Eddie he wasn’t alone. 

 

“Now, as we finish this absolutely delicious dessert, why don’t you tell me about some of Venom’s cravings. With a little research, I think we could figure out what it is he needs. ”

 

Eddie sighed and took a deep breath, pulling himself relatively back together, and started to tell Dan about Venom’s eating habits. He started by listing the basics; tater tots, chocolate, raw meat, and so forth. 

 

**_“Don’t forget the brains Eddie. They are the most important.”_ **

 

“Trust me, I think he knows about  _ that _ . Dan, you saw the red wine thing today. That one is new. There is some random stuff too, like salami, beans, and my absolute least favorite, raw eggs. He loves the damn things. Likes to pop them in whole and listen to the ‘cronch,’ as he puts it. I think it reminds him of the ‘other thing.’”

 

Dan started gagging, but he wrote it all down like a champ. “That’s… so gross. Wait, so how does that work? Does he always eat with your mouth or what?

 

“Honestly Dan, I have no fucking idea. He doesn’t need my mouth for small things, he just kind of makes what we call a noodle head and can eat with that.”

 

“But where does it  _ go  _ than? Your stomach or what?” 

 

“No clue, I try not to think about it too much.”

 

**_“Eddie, our body is very efficient. We process everything into energy and chemicals immediately. It’s why we can heal our body so fast.”_ **

 

“Well, now he tells me. Dan, he says it’s because our body is so efficient, he just processes everything and absorbs it.”

 

“But where does the extra mass actually go?”

 

Venom just mentally shrugs at Eddie, done talking about it. 

 

“No idea. Again, kind of freaks me out. Being able to eat that much in a go and not gain a pound…” Eddie shivers. 

 

“Okay well, how often do you need to, errr, ‘ _ eat out’ _ ? Any sort of schedule you’ve noticed?”

 

“Not really. It seems to just depend on our mood, you know? It always seems like when life gets stressful, he gets needier.”

 

“Well, this is a good start. What was with the tears earlier?”

 

While they finished dessert and the rest of the bottle of wine, Eddie told Dan the bare minimum about their emotional bond, leaving out the new things from the day and just how much Venom could affect him. Somethings were best left between them. 

 

Saul brought out the check and Eddie choked on the last of his wine. So much for the Black Star budget. After leaving Saul a generous tip, they had blown through ninety percent of the $500 Mrs. Black had given them to work with. They would need to get creative if anything else came up. 

 

Eddie packed up the various lists Saul had given him and they headed to the door. 

 

“Thanks, Dan. For everything today. I- we really mean it. It feels good to have it out in the open now. And thanks for looking into the cravings thing. It would be nice knowing what we need.”   
  


“I couldn’t imagine how keeping a secret like that would feel. And it shouldn’t be too hard to figure out what it is. And once we do, it will help both of you figure your crap out, at least physically. Emotionally, you two are on your own. That's one mess I don’t want to touch with a ten foot pole.”

 

They finished saying goodbye, promising to come to dinner soon. Eddie started walking home, his headphones actually plugged in this time. 

 

“Damn, that was delicious. Fucking stressful, but delicious.”

 

**_“Eddie, about that. I have something to tell you. You have to promise not to freak out though.”_ **

 

“Uh, What’s going on love? It kind of terrifies me when anyone says ‘don’t freak out’.”

**_“I know you don’t like it when I mess with our body, but this was important and you should probably know before we eat in front of anyone tomorrow. Please don’t get mad. I just wanted you to enjoy food like I do.”_ **

  
“Venom, what the  _ fuck  _ did you do?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next in Episode 3: Eddie and Venom have an educational brunch, meet some assholes, and still have no idea how to talk to each other. 
> 
> Food Terms:
> 
> Sous Vide - Basically, a special machine heats a large container of water to temperature you want, you throw in a vacuum sealed bag or jar, and then it slow poaches in the water.   
> Gelée- Think of the thickest Jello you have ever seen, that’s made of real fruit or juice (or wine), but only it’s 1000x better and actually a delight to eat.  
> Crudité - Fancy French term for a veggie tray, or sliced veggies and sauce.   
> Tartare - Meat that is finely chopped and served raw. Usually served with cornichon pickles, red onion, strong mustard and similar an a raw egg yoke on top.   
> Carpaccio - Super thin slices of raw meat in a vinaigrette or some kind. FYI, pork is almost never safe to eat raw, rare yes, but not raw. Don’t die kids.   
> Ceviche - Raw shellfish or fish that is “cooked” in a very strong marinade made from mostly citrus juices.  
> Leche de Tigre (Tiger’s Milk) - Peruvian spicy, usually lime based marinade for ceviche. This also refers to the leftover liquid after the fish is done marinated that you can drink. It’s fucking delicious. 
> 
> If you want some cool science behind carpaccio etc., I highly recommend Alton Brown’s Good Eats S9E19 ‘Tender is the Loin 2.’


	3. Eddie Gets Burned In More Ways Then One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Family meal gets a bit spicy, Eddie and Venom meet an asshole, and still have no idea how to talk to each other.

_“Venom, what the fuck did you do?!”_

 

**_“Just minor changes, Eddie. Nothing_ ** **_important_ ** **_.”_ **Venom tried to lace his words with comfort, but Eddie was too far gone to listen, to feel what Venom was trying to say. 

 

“Nothing _important_ ?! What the absolute _fuck_ does that mean?!”

 

**_“Eddie...important means big things. We only changed a few small things. All good things, made Eddie better. Stronger. "_** Venom could only watch as Eddie emotionally spiraled, filling their bond with confusion, panic, and betrayal. 

 

“God, Venom, I know what _important_ means! What have you done to me? Just… fuck. You know what, I can’t do this here.” As Eddie walked down the street, he sank further into his panic while Venom settled to the depths of Eddie’s stomach, trying to hide. 

 

It all started when Eddie burnt his tongue on his coffee the night before and Venom had fixed it, but also decided to make a few minor adjustments, no, _slight improvements_ , along the way, in order to help Eddie. 

 

 Venom didn’t understand why it mattered that much. All he did was change their taste buds, just a _bit._ He hadn’t even added that many new ones. No one would even notice Eddie’s improved sense of smell, possibly not even Eddie. And anything brain related, well, that wasn’t a big deal either. 

 

Everything he had done was to benefit Eddie and bring them closer together, to show Eddie what having true symbiosis was like. It wasn’t like anyone but them would notice the changes.

 

Furious and wanting time to think, Eddie skipped the bus home, opting instead to walk the hour and a half back. Eddie’s emotions continued to twist into the ugly browns and grays of anxiety and worry, soon ebbing into a murky swamp with emotions that tasted like rusted iron, muddled with the sickly yellow of infection, and the mouldy green of rotten fruit- anger tainted with deep hurt and mistrust. 

 

Okay, so maybe Venom had gotten a _little_ carried away. 

 

***

 

“We’re home. Get out here and start talking.” Eddie slammed his bag and keys onto the kitchen counter as he sat at the table. 

 

**_“Sorry, Eddie.”_** Venom’s voice was barely a whisper in the back of Eddie’s skull, echoing from where Venom had hid himself, not wanting to face Eddie. 

 

“Nuhah, nope! Hiding out in my guts and whispering isn’t gonna work. Get your gooey ass out here and look me in the eye,” Venom’s noodle head slowly oozed out of Eddie’s skin, smaller than normal, and Venom kept his gaze averted. Guilt gushed through their link. “Okay, now what did you do to me?”

 

**“We are really sorry Eddie. Thought you would enjoy the surprise.”**

 

“Weather or not I enjoyed ‘the surprise’ is _completely_ besides the point.” Eddie took a deep breath, trying to calm the whirlpool of anxiety and anger he felt. “Dude, you promised me when we agreed to stick together, _promised_ to talk to me before you fucked with my body. _Promised_ we would be a team. Now, lets try this again. _What did you do to me_?” 

 

**“Fixed your tongue, Eddie. After you burned it last night.”**

 

“Venom, don’t you _dare_ lie to me right now. We both know that’s a massive load of bullshit. ”

 

**“Only changed a** **_little,_ ** **Eddie, while we fixed it. Improved our taste buds so you would taste things better...and added just a couple more…really not too many...”**

 

“Uh huh...and how many is a couple?”

 

**“Two hundred? Maybe less?”**

 

“ _Two hundred!”_ Eddie squeaked, “Two hundred isn’t even _close_ to a couple. And knowing you, you know _exactly_ how many you added. How many?” 

 

**“Two hundred and eleven.”** Venom mumbled.

 

“ _Venom._ Oh my god.” Eddie pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to fight off an impending headache. “What else?”

 

**“Maybe upgraded your sense of smell just a little bit...you know how important smell is to tasting things Eddie.”**

 

“And that is supposed to explain everything huh? Including the freaky brain thing? You know- the whole ‘food now _tastes like fucking emotions’_ thing? Adding a few taste buds and fucking with my nose? I got high on _tuna._ I had an acid trip eating raw hamburger for fucks sake. What the hell, Venom?”

 

Venom made a low rumbling that could have almost been a sigh before mumbling, as low and guarded as he could, **“Possibly added a few new synopses to your brain, so you could process our senses better. Maybe rewrote a couple neuro paths to improve how you identify what you are tasting and smelling, and rebuilt our emotional feedback bond to be stronger so we would be more in sync.”**

 

“And _there_ it is! _”_ Eddie exclaimed and, for what felt like the thousandth time that day, buried his head in his hands. 

 

The body changes, turning into an eight foot, muscled goo monster, the new eating habits, and everything else was shocking enough. But his brain was where Eddie drew the line. His brain is what made Eddie, _Eddie._  

 

They sat in silence for what Venom could have sworn was hours, Eddie letting his thoughts twist and churn, as anxiety and the hurt of betrayal inundated their connection. There was something else at the core of Eddie’s feelings, darker and deeper, that Venom couldn’t identify. 

 

Unable to handle watching Eddie fall deeper into the storm of emotion, Venom finally broke the silence. **“Please Eddie...** **_Eddie_ ** **...please talk to us.”** ****

 

Eddie _felt_ more than heard the plea, pulling him back from his thoughts. 

 

 “I want to know why, Venom. Why would you do this?” 

 

**“To become better Eddie, so we can reach** **_true_ ** **symbiosis.”** Venom was dismayed, he had thought Eddie wanted to be with him, closer. Did Eddie regret what they had?

 

“And that means changing my brain? Changing who I _am_?” More panic and fear engulfed them, pouring from Eddie. 

 

**“We didn’t change** **_you_ ** **, only parts of your brain.”**

 

“My brain _is_ what makes me, _me_! When you start dicking around with it, you’re changing who I am…” Eddie’s breath hitched.

 

“If you keep changing my brain, what makes me who I am, would anything of _me_ even be left? Or just the pieces of me that _you_ like? The parts that fit into your idea of a perfect host, the parts that like the thrill of the hunt, the parts that crave the snapping of bone and the ripping of flesh? What about the rest of me, huh? The writer, the guy who limits us to eating bad guys, the part of me that fights for the right thing? Or the man who lov-” Eddie couldn’t bring himself to finish the question, scared to know the answer. 

 

Eddie paused, again trying to center himself, and stared at the wall as he quietly asked, “When do the improvements stop Venom? How much of me needs to change before you can have your _perfect host?_ Your _perfect_ symbiosis?”

 

Venom glanced up at Eddie, perplexed. Eddie was, and would always be, for better or worse, _Eddie_ , and Venom would never change who _his_ perfect Eddie was. He liked every single part of Eddie, so why would Eddie think Venom was changing _who_ he was? Had he misunderstood? Did Eddie not want him? Or their symbiosis? 

 

Venom looked deeper into the emotional swamp that had been swelling for the past couple hours, trying to dissect what Eddie could mean. It was a shadowy bog of fear, confusion, shame, and sorrow all flowing from the deeper vortex that Venom didn’t understand. He pulled and sifted through the threads, and finally, he found the core of it. 

 

Once Venom recognized this feeling for what it really was, everything fell into place. The tenderness of it was gut wrenching. Venom tugged one last time, letting the vortex wash over him. Yes, Eddie’s heart boiled with anger, disappointment, frustration, and disesteem, but it wasn’t directed at Venom. 

 

If Klyntar could cry, Venom would have wept. 

 

Eddie had come to the conclusion that Venom was trying to change, no _erase,_ who Eddie was because Eddie wasn’t _good enough._ Eddie was scared Venom wanted to leave him for someone, something better. 

 

**“Eddie...** **_Eddie_ ** **. We think... We think we need to explain. We don’t want to** **change** **_Eddie_. We really thought you would like it. We ** **_only_ ** **did it for you. To make you better.** **_”_ **

 

“To make me _better_ ? What’s so wrong with _me_ as I am?”

 

Venom pushed his guilt and remorse at Eddie, trying to punctuate the regret he felt before he tried to reply. **“Eddie-”**

 

 “Venom!” Eddie slammed his hand into the table. “Stop with the guilt trip! I get to be pissed about this. I get to be hurt, without you pushing guilt at me to force me into feeling bad. ”

 

**“** **_No!_ ** **No, Eddie, that’s not what…”** Eddie’s phone started to ring, cutting Venom off. 

 

Eddie checked the caller ID. Black Star.

 

“This is Eddie Brock. Yes, I can hold.” Eddie covered the mouthpiece of the phone and whispered, “We are _not_ done talking about this.”

 

Venom nodded sheepishly as a voice picked up on the other side of the line.

 

“Oh, Mrs. Black, good afternoon! Lunch? Oh, it went really well. Yeah, my contact was able to get me a few lists to follow up on. Sure, I can send that to you… Mmhmm. Yeah. Funding? Oh, well, um…” Eddie kind of choked at the question, full well knowing they had only a few dollars remaining from the cash Mrs. Black had given him. There was a surge of embarrassment as he replied, “Yeah, I’m okay on funding. Thank you for asking. Sure I have a few minutes, whatever you need. Well, you were right about the restaurant being great, both as a source and their food.” 

 

 Eddie than spent the better part of the next hour talking Mrs. Black through their day at Crudité, without diving into the wine fiasco and emotional drama. He pulled out his laptop, writing out notes and sending Mrs.Black the information she requested. 

 

Venom, on the other hand, spent the time swirling deep in Eddie’s abdomen, avoiding Eddie while dwelling on what Eddie had said and the emotional bog they had created. 

 

Venom was confused. If Eddie wanted him, and he wanted Eddie, why was this so difficult? Eddie was perfect, the perfect host, and Venom would do whatever it took to protect him and make him happy. That is what achieving true symbiosis is all about, two becoming one, existing in perfect balance and harmony. The whole becoming more than the sum of its parts. Unless, Eddie didn’t _want_ that. Venom wondered if he would ever get the chance to talk to Eddie without being interrupted.

 

Venom let his mind drift through the emotional tangle, trying to sort out what it could all mean. 

 

It made sense, in a way, for Eddie to not want Venom to become a real part of him, to reach their full potential. Eddie had been forced into their relationship in the first place and then had to make a lot of concessions for Venom- working from home, sleeping less, and going on hunts, which Eddie hated, even when it was just pigeons. Venom also knew that it had taken a huge emotional toll on Eddie, having to share their emotional feedback bond and having Venom in his head. From what Venom was able to see glimpses of Eddie’s memory and thoughts, it made Eddie uncomfortable and anxious. 

 

There was also the fact that Venom had betrayed Eddie’s trust by changing their body without permission. 

 

Fear and doubt started to cloud Venom’s mind. What if Eddie started to resent Venom and what they shared? What if Eddie decided to leave Venom now that Venom had broken one of the few rules Eddie had made. 

 

After feeling Eddie’s concerns about not being good enough, Venom had felt sure he would be able to comfort Eddie and help him to see how perfect he is. Now, Venom wasn’t so sure Eddie _wanted_ Venom to stay. Venom let his consciousness float towards the surface to see if Eddie was done with his call. 

 

“Yes, I am meeting them tomorrow to try and follow up on some new leads. Maybe get a couple more leads. I understand Mrs. Black. No, thank you so much. Have a good evening.” 

 

Eddie hung up the phone and took a deep breath, moving to the couch. 

 

“Well, she’s happy enough with today that she’s sending over another $100.00, ‘just in case’ as she put it. It will help us get around, at the very least.” Eddie shifted and laid down on the couch, relaxing in the warm afternoon sun.

 

Venom wasn’t entirely sure were he and Eddie stood now. He was torn, wanting to comfort Eddie but wanting to give his host space if needed. 

 

“Hey, Venom, come here for a second.” Eddie gestured towards his chest and Venom quickly complied with what Eddie wanted. They had spent a few lazy afternoons this way, Eddie reclining on the couch, with Venom partly materialized resting on his abdomen like a gooey cat. 

 

“God, I’m exhausted.” Eddie snuggled deeper into the couch, kicking off his shoes. “ I’ve been thinking, I don’t think you need to change it back. I really did like it. I’m just scared of losing myself Venom. Just, just please, warn a guy next time.”

 

**“Sorry Eddie. We should have told you. And warned you about the restaurant menu. Even though the look on your face was priceless.”** Venom couldn’t help but grin with the memory. 

 

Eddie chuckled as he ran a finger along Venom’s head, “It was really fucking delicious. At least it was a good surprise. I can’t believe you let me think it was vegan, ya damn parasite. Also, we are going to have to keep the drama in check at family meal tomorrow. We need to find out what is happening and get some good leads, okay?”

 

Venom grumbled his agreement and felt Eddie relax, drifting towards sleep as the warm afternoon sun made everything softer, easier. 

 

“Ven, you mentioned ‘true symbiosis.’ What does that mean?” Eddie asked drowsily.

 

**“Don’t worry about it, Eddie, we are fine, just as we are.”** Venom pushed all of the comfort and love he could muster towards Eddie, lulling them both into a well deserved nap. 

 

As they both dozed off, a single desire pulsed through the bond they shared, perfectly in sync, wrapping itself through the very fiber of their connection. 

 

_Don’t leave me._

 

***

 

Eddie jerked awake as his phone alarm blared from under his pillow. Groaning, he turned off the insistent beeping and rolled back over, ready to go back to sleep for the next few hours. 

 

**“No, Eddie, we have to get up.”**

 

“Ten more minutes.” Eddie was still feeling a bit off from yesterday’s emotional upheaval and just wanted to sleep it off.

 

After their nap, Eddie and Venom had spent the rest of their evening in a weird, awkward silence. It was the quietest evening Eddie had had since Venom came into his life and he wasn’t sure he liked it. He had grown used to having a constant presence in the back of his mind, even if it was just the hum of Venom processing their surroundings.

 

Venom hadn’t even demanded that they ate something he liked for dinner, letting Eddie slip back into his old standard of booze and sandwich from Mrs. Chen’s. Eddie did try to lure Venom out with a dark chocolate bar, but all he got was a **“Thanks, Eddie…”** and continued radio silence. 

 

**“No more sleeping, Eddie. We have to get up for family meal. You forgot to shower last night and if you don’t shower now, we will be late. Or smelly.”**

 

“Shit! Yeah, okay, I’m up.” Eddie rolled out of bed and hopped into the shower. With everything else going on, Eddie had forgotten about family meal. He checked his phone, 8:27 am. Even getting up now was pushing it to get there on time with a shower. Hopefully the bus wouldn’t be late.

 

“Someday, I’m gonna get a new bike. Then, no more bus schedules. No more buses that smell like piss. And no more bus stop weirdos!”

 

**“But Eddie, you are one of those weirdos.”** Eddie felt relief at the jab. He had been worried that the awkwardness the day before would follow them, but it was a good sign if Venom was up to making fun of him.

 

“Well _I_ didn’t used to be!” Eddie shot back, only to have Venom immediately withdraw and refuse to respond. Okay, so maybe not as good of a sign as Eddie had been hoping.

 

Finally clean, Eddie pulled on the best outfit he could find that didn’t smell like old takeout or have blood stains all over it. Maybe part of that $100 should go towards a few new shirts. He checked the time, 8:58. Eddie was really going to have to move it.

 

“Okay, are you ready to go? All of your shows set to record right?” Eddie asked Venom as he picked up his keys and wallet. 

 

**_“Yes.”_ **

 

_Huh, odd._ Eddie thinks. Normally Venom wouldn’t respond mentally unless they were in public. And the tone was off as well. Venom should have been vibrating with excitement over the family meal. 

 

“Cool, let’s get going.” 

 

Eddie was lucky, the bus was two minutes late after all, which meant he managed to just barely catch it before it drove off. He got off at the stop closest to Crudité by 9:30 and was able to run the rest of the way in less then five. Venom stayed silent the entire time, not even bothering to ask about eating the yappy dog or crying child along the way. 

 

Eddie walked up to the front doors, only to find them locked and the blinds drawn closed. “What the hell?” He murmured, trying the other door. 

 

“Eddie!” Saul yelled as he dodged traffic, crossing from the other side of the street, a large duffel thrown over his shoulder. “Let’s go in the back door, it should be unlocked.”

 

“Hey Saul! How’s it goin’?”

 

Saul chatted about his morning while Eddie followed him around the back of the building to a heavy metal door which lead into the kitchen and prep area. A soft chime went off as they entered.

 

The kitchen was bustling, chefs and staff busy preparing a myriad of sauces and dishes. The smell was overwhelmingly in the best way possible, evolving as they walked around stoves and tables. Eddie could pick out individual ingredients while still smelling the plates as a whole. Whatever Venom had done to his sense of smell, it was like walking into the sun after being in a dark room.

 

Eddie could feel Venom start to stir in curiosity at the smells, the humming returning to the back of Eddie’s skull. Eddie couldn’t help but feel comforted by the familiar presence, and he tried to shove that feeling towards Venom. 

 

Saul led Eddie towards the front of the kitchen, where they found Nikki surrounded by dozens of plates of food. “Oh good you’re here! Saul, would you taste this lemon foam and tell me what it needs?” She picked up a spoon of what looked like dish soap bubbles and held it out to Saul. 

 

Saul slurped it off the spoon, letting it coat his palate. “Lime. Or grapefruit. Or, better yet, some of that weird lumpy yellow lemon thing Danica was trying to grow on her porch. Needs another sour profile.”

 

“Yuzu?” Nikki takes another bite, sucking the foam across her tongue. “Okay, yeah I can see that. Thanks. I’ve tasted it so much today, I don’t know if I can tell anymore.” She turned her attention to Eddie.

 

“Eddie! If yesterday is any indication, you’ve got a good palate. Taste this!” A spoon of foam was shoved into Eddie’s mouth. The texture was non-existent, the foam quickly melting into a sour burst of lemon that lit up Eddie’s taste buds. It tasted like sunshine and a warm summer day, with a sweet note on the back end. 

 

_Ah. Shit._ Eddie had no idea how to describe the foam without going into detail about his first summer kiss on the beach, without telling them it was yellow and bright and _happy._ He let the foam finish dissolving on his tongue and waited for Venom to put in his two cents. 

 

“ ** _It’s good Eddie. Tastes like the sun._** **_The weird man is right, it needs a different kind of sour. And maybe some salt. But like, pink salt. It’s sweeter.”_**

 

“Damn, that’s delicious. I’m not a professional by any means, but I think I agree with Saul. Needs another layer of sour. Maybe some salt? But a sweet salt? But, honestly I think it’s great.”

 

Saul snorts out a laugh. “Sweet salt huh?”

 

Nikki elbows him. “Actually, pink salt may work, it’s less harsh. Thanks, Eddie. The rest of the plate has a lot of salt, but it could help tie the lemon into the rest of the plate. I’ll test it tomorrow.” She shoved the dish of foam away and jotted down her thoughts. “Let me introduce you to some of my guys and then we can eat!”

 

Eddie was guided around the kitchen and introduced to almost everyone. It would have been the perfect interviewing opportunity, except that every time he was introduced to a new station, he would have a new delectable taste or sample shoved his way and be asked to give his opinion. 

 

Luckily, Venom helped with most of the critiques and in the end Eddie was able to interview a vast majority of the staff. 

 

Unfortunately, most of the kitchen staff stayed out of the actual catering side, avoiding the deliveries and clientele, instead just making the dishes in the quantities they were told. Even then, the missing head chef had a crew of favorites that he would pull in to do exclusive events for favorite clients. Most of the “favorites” were absent, with Nikki making a few shift changes to suit what she thought Eddie’s needs would be.

 

He made a note to look further into one of the assistant pastry chefs, Anita, and one of the line cooks, Ken. Both had skirted his questions, and Ken looked an awful lot like one of the investors Eddie wanted to look into. 

 

The waitstaff had a different perspective entirely, often being onsite and doubling as delivery drivers. Alex hinted at the same things as Saul- weird deliveries and weirder schedules, more cash flow than seemed right for the size and number of jobs they had going, and hot boxes being dropped off empty and coming back full. Eddie got his phone number so they could talk later when Alex wasn’t trying to do three people’s jobs. 

 

Eddie was also introduced to a driver and server named Aubrey, who was quick to laugh and had a bright smile that never reached her eyes. She was part time, only coming in when Nikki and Saul needed the extra hands. 

 

Eventually, Eddie was taken to the front of the house, where a few of the dining rooms largest tables had been mashed together to create a large rectangle, set up so everyone could pass food with ease and see each other. The makeshift banquet table was loaded with food, and even more dishes were being brought out from the kitchen. It was a hodgepodge of   Crudité menu items, and, more surprisingly, obviously homemade dishes. A couple plates of the famous tartar, a large bowl of leftover ceviche, as well as a few new things for the days specials sat nestled between a large platter of cured meats, three different scrambled egg dishes, which Eddie was later told were **_“...obviously frittatas...”_ **, and even a platter of giant pancakes, which looked like they had-

 

“Do those pancakes have **bacon?”** Eddie asked, unsurprised by Venom’s excitement, letting his other finish the question.

 

“Hell yeah they do. That’s Saul’s specialty, bacon pancakes. There is even an extra surprise inside. He won’t let anyone have the recipe, to the point he won’t even make them here. He’s rigged that ugly duffel bag to keep them warm on the way from his apartment.” Alex said as he walked up behind Eddie, carrying a few open bottles of wine and a pitcher of water. 

 

“Stop being so mopey about it, you wouldn’t make them right anyways.” Saul says as he and Nikki grabbed seats towards the kitchen. “Eddie, come sit by us man. I’m starving and lunch service starts at 11:45. Do you want some wine?”

 

“Um, maybe? Do you have any, uh-shit. What is it called...”

 

“Nik, I’ve got this.” Saul shoved a large wine glass and a familiar bottle at Eddie. 

 

“ **Yes.** Yup that’s the stuff. Thank you!” Venom purred deep in Eddie’s chest as he poured the wine, almost filling the glass. 

 

The rest of the staff trickled in and out, taking their obviously customary seats around the table. The brunch was an orchestrated dance- the staff sat, ate, laughed together, and worked, all while Nikki gave advice, asked for status reports, assigned tasks, and sampled the days offerings, making any last minute adjustments to the menu.

 

Eddie could hardly keep up with it, and instead tried to talk to the staff one on one as often as he could. That was until he started eating. 

 

“Here, Eddie, I know you liked the raw dishes yesterday, so this plate is for you.” Nikki handed him a large platter, piled high with tartar and ceviche with a side of chips from yesterday. She also slides him a plate of a new dish she calls beef tataki, with the lemon foam from earlier. 

 

Eddie settled the plates in front of him and took a deep breath, letting the coppery tang, bright citrus, and earthy fragrances wash over him. Venom was again squirming with pleasure in Eddie’s abdomen. 

 

Eddie started with the familiar leftovers, piling tartar onto chips after mixing in the sauces as Venom had instructed before. He smiled, thinking of what awaited him as he took his first bite, and braced for the ardor he felt the day before. The luscious beefy flavor coated his mouth as it had yesterday, but there was no surge of emotion, no euphoria. Just flavor, albeit more intense flavor than he could have imagined, but it paled in comparison to the fervor he was seeking.

 

Disappointed, Eddie dug into the ceviche, hoping that it would somehow trigger the outpouring he craved. Even with the foam tasting earlier there had been at least a glimpse of memory and emotion attached to the bright lemon. He had thought that telling Venom they could keep the changes would mean that he would be able to get the same high. Eddie reached into their bond, trying to find what he was doing wrong. 

 

Venom was practically silent, only the barest hint of pleasure was trickling through the bond. The Symbiote was obviously happy as they ate, so maybe that was enough and Eddie just needed to let it go. 

 

Trying not to feel overly discouraged, Eddie started in on the tataki. An elegant fan of seared meat was spread along one side of the plate, bright red against the clean, white rectangle. Green leaves and sliced vegetables sat in small, neat stacks on the other side. A thin, shallow dish was nestled between the two, a river of foam, perfectly divided the plate, which was garnished with hair fine threads of bright red and orange, splitting the stacks of vegetables. Eddie picked up the provided chopsticks, and waited for Venom to give him directions. 

 

The instructions never came. Eddie tried to mentally nudged Venom, only getting a vague hum in return. 

 

“Uhhhhhh….” Eddie stared at the plate, confused on how to continue without Venom’s guidance. 

 

Nikki laughed. “Sorry Eddie, I should have explained. It’s not that common of a preparation, but think lettuce wrap. Take a leaf,” she picked up one of the leaves in her left hand, holding it like a cup, “then take a slice of the flash seared beef, and dip it in the lemon shoyu foamed sauce.” She dipped the beef into the foam, which gave way to reveal a hidden layer of dark sauce underneath. 

 

“The second sauce is the shoyu, sort of like a dark soy sauce. It should add a bit of salt like we were talking about earlier. The white sticks are dikon, or Japanese radish, and the small green leaves are micro mizuna, it’s a bit peppery. Then you have carrot, spring onion, and some mixed chopped mushrooms. Okay, now put the saucy beef and any of the veg you want and shove it into your leaf, fold, and eat.” Nikki added a few strands of the various veggies, pinched the leaf closed with one hand, and ate the whole thing in one bite. 

 

Eddie quickly followed suit, adding a small amount of various veggies, trying to focus on the beef. The beef, still very much raw, was lightly sweet and the thin seared edge gave a smoky finish that balanced the salty shoyu and bright lemon foam. The foam, while delicious, still needed, as Saul had said, one more note of sour to bring it together. 

 

As he ate his way through the plate, Eddie’s frustration grew. Unlike earlier, the lemon foam didn’t trigger anything stronger than an ambiguous feeling of happiness. While delicious, the whole plate seemed to fall flat.

 

What was the point of letting Venom keep the changes if he wouldn’t let Eddie use them? Had it all been some kind of cruel joke to Venom?

 

Eddie made another wrap, this time loading up on the vegetables. If Venom was going to stay quiet, Eddie was going to eat some salad damn it. For good measure, he even loaded on a pile of the decorative red threads before shoving the huge mound into his mouth. 

 

Instantly, he regretted everything as his entire world burst into flame. 

 

Eddie coughed and gagged as _fire_ assaulted his tongue, his nose, his eyes. Eddie tried to breath, swallowing the wrap half chewed. His esophagus lit up, choking him further. Black spots swam across his vision and sweat poured from his skin. If Eddie thought he had been sweaty when he picked up his parasite, this was worse. So much worse. 

 

_This is how I die._  

 

**_“Stop being a wuss. It’s not that bad.”_ **

 

_Well,_ thought Eddie, _at least Venom’s back._

 

Venom’s teasing didn’t last, as Eddie continued hacking up a lung and the heat continued to build and spread. Concern tugged at the edge of the bond.

 

Eddie felt a glass get shoved into his hands, vaguely hearing Saul saying, “Swish and spit Eddie. Come on man, you gotta keep breathing.” 

 

Eddie guzzled the liquid in his hands to try to cool the burn, instead choking as more fire poured down his throat. He grunted in pain and the cup was yanked from his hands. 

 

“No dude, you gotta swish and spit. Try again.” A fresh glass was handed to him and he took a sip and then tried to swallow, desperate to stop the burning.

 

**_“No Eddie. Spit it out!”_ **Venom was suddenly in control, forcing Eddie to spit out the mouthful of liquid. 

 

“Okay, good, again.” Saul encouraged as Venom swished the liquid, which Eddie soon realized, with horror, was milk, and spit again. The burning was starting to ebb, and Eddie tried to reach up to rub at his eyes once Venom relinquished control.

 

**_“Don’t Eddie! You’ll burn us even more.”_ ** 

 

“Eddie, man. You gonna be okay?” Everyone had stopped eating to watch Eddie’s palate suicide attempt. Saul was standing above him, holding another glass of milk. 

 

“I...I think so. What the hell was that.” Eddie coughed a few more times as small aftershocks of heat hit. 

 

“Sorry Eddie. Looks like someone switched the Korean chili threads I use on the tataki with ones I had been testing for a spicy tuna challenge we are doing for a catering gig.” Nikki handed him a wet rag to wipe his hands.

 

“What the fuck kind of twisted person orders something like _that_?!” 

 

“Bro-fest bachelor party. It’s going to be a real treat to watch those idiots kill themselves. Sorry you ended up as a guinea pig. Actually, you may want to go rinse your face and wash your hands, just in case any of the oils spread. Scotch bonnet to the eye is hell, let me tell you.”

 

Eddie had been reaching towards his eyes again and immediately stopped with Nikki’s warning. 

 

“Gotcha. Bathroom?”

 

“Back towards the kitchen, down the hall. The office is to the right, so the bathroom is to the left.”

 

“Uh, okay?” Eddie grabbed his bag and headed into the bathroom. He washed his hands and used a few dozen paper towels to clean up his sweaty face.

 

“You okay in there Ven? I know you and heat don’t get along so well, but what about spicy?”

 

**_“We are fine, Eddie.”_ **Venom basically gave Eddie the equivalent of a shrug. 

 

“Uh huh, sure. Care to share with the class why you’ve been so hot and cold today? Trying for a crazy remix of a Katy Perry song?”

 

**_“Just trying to let you be Eddie.”_** Self-deprecation laced dissatisfaction flashed through the bond from Venom.

 

“What the hell does that mean?” Another mental shrug was all Eddie got as an answer. “Ven, darlin’. Talk to me here. What’s going on?”

 

**_“It’s fine Eddie. Let’s get back to work.”_ **

 

Eddie sighed, not wanting to push them into another fight. “Okay, fine. Just, uh, thanks for the save back there. I felt like I was going to burn from the inside out.” Eddie could have sworn there was a brief flash of protectiveness from Venom, but it was cut off so quickly he could have imagined the whole thing. 

 

“What do you say we check to see if we can get in the office on our way back? Nikki telling us where it is was basically an invitation to check it out right?” Venom didn’t respond as Eddie left the bathroom as quietly as he could, sneaking the ten feet to the office door. 

 

The door was locked, but Eddie was able to make quick work of the cheap lock with a credit card and a bit of force. Flipping on a light, Eddie gagged at the absolute mess that covered every surface of the desk, floor, and file cabinets. Receipts, invoices, and catering orders were scattered around, mixed in with fast food wrappers and other bits of trash. The smell was suffocating, a jumble of sour unwashed human and the greasy, sweet odor of rotting fast food. 

 

“Oh _god._ This can _not_ be legal. Or sanitary.” Eddie covered his face with his shirt to try and stifle the assault of rancid waste. It was almost unbearable as Eddie pulled out his phone and started taking pictures of whatever he could, without disrupting the chaotic piles. Walking around the desk, he noticed a clean area on a side table surrounding three piles of neatly organized documents, color coded by sticky notes and separated by tabs. 

 

“Well, well, what do we have here?” Eddie thumbed through the first pile, ensuring that all of the forms and tabs stayed in place. “This is odd. It’s just shrimp orders from the farm Saul mentioned yesterday. Five-hundred pounds. Damn that’s a lot of shrimp. Though, I bet you could eat that many, right bud?” Venom stayed silent as Eddie snapped a couple pics of the largest invoices and the company’s direct contact information. 

 

The next pile was similar, but for the tuna and other deep ocean fish, all from what looked liked independent contractors that lined the cost from San Francisco to San Diego. 

 

The final stack was baffling. 

 

It was a large stack of catering orders, organized by party size. The top order was for the spicy frat boy bachelor party, set for the following week. “Huh, this seems off. There are only ten orders for the tuna tasting, but the party size is set at thirty. Somebody is cheap.” Eddie glanced at the price tag and winced. He finished the photos of the catering pile and moved back to the desk, taking a couple of the messy catering invoices to compare later, including the $8,000 bill to Black Star for the chocolate party, which had a couple notes attached. The largest asked “Do we even _have_ that many kinds of chocolate?” and a smaller question mark scribbled next to the order list and that could have read “real,” “teal,” or really anything ending with “-eal.” 

 

“At least we know Black Star isn’t stingy.” Eddie carefully placed the paper back and checked the time. He had been gone for just shy of ten minutes and it was almost 10:20. “Shit, let’s get back.” 

 

He double checked that everything was in order as he shoved his phone back into his bag. Eddie peaked around the corner of the door, checking that the hall was still clear before he locked the door and closed it tight.

 

Eddie paused outside the door, taking a deep breath to fortify himself. “Hey, Venom. I know we haven’t been, well, okay since yesterday, but I wanted you to enjoy this too.Whatever it is you are trying to do, please don’t-” _leave me, pull away, ignore me, lock yourself away._

 

Eddie sighed, gathering his thoughts. “Look, I know it’s something you love, food like this. So, stop trying to bury yourself in my intestines, alright. I, uh, I really want-”

 

“Eddie! I was coming to check on you. Who are you talking to?” Saul asked, startling Eddie as he turned the corner.

 

“Saul! Hey! You know… just taking a couple notes. And stuff.” Eddie waved his phone’s open note app as Saul’s easy laugh filled the hall. 

 

“Come on, I’ll walk you back. How’s your mouth?” 

 

“Fine, now that it’s no longer filled with lava.” Eddie realized that the burning had stopped in its entirety without him even noticing. Venom must have taken care of the damage without saying a word. He pushed his gratitude at Venom, hoping his partner would feel how thankful he was. 

 

 Eddie sat back in his seat as Aubrey sat down across from him. Even being part-time, she went on enough catering runs to warrant Eddie asking a few more questions. 

 

“So Aubrey, I know you said you were part-time. What do you do outside of Crudité?” Eddie could feel the exhaustion radiating from her as she yawned before answering.

 

“Oh you know, odd jobs here and there, whatever I can get while I work on my degree.” 

 

“Do you like catering? Seems like it’s pretty hard work.”

 

“Yeah, it can be. Most of the jobs out of Crudité are great though. I’ve been called in few times on Chef Jon’s ‘special projects.’ I wouldn’t mind missing those for the rest of my life. But, hey, it pays pretty well, if the customer actually tips, and I like helping Saul and Nikki out. They’ve been great to me and mine.”

 

“What’s so weird about Jon’s gigs?” 

 

“The people. It’s always a bunch of rich douche canoes who think the sun shines out of Jon’s ass. They get really weird over the food too. Like, Jon special prints these tiny menus for each guest, and freaks out if it even looks like one of us could read it. Not to mention the venues are super cliche horror movie status- basements, mansion dining rooms with the curtains closed...that kind of shit . ”

 

Eddie listened as he nibbled on various bites from the tables offerings, steering clear of anything that could be potentially spicy. He could feel Venom wriggle closer to the surface, intrigued by the new flavors. Eddie could only hope that their chat earlier had helped. 

 

“Uggg yeah, I wouldn’t wanna do that either. Are those the jobs with the weird drop offs too?”

 

“No, actually. Jon still sets all of those up, but Crudité provides all of the food and most of the staff.”

 

“How common are those anyways, Saul made it sound like it happens all the time.”

 

“About twice a week, sometimes more. I try not to get too involved. Plus my night and Saturday job keeps me from being scheduled for most of those.” Aubrey shrugged. 

 

“Hey Aubrey, would you run to the back and help Janyce with the salad station prep? She’s been gone a while and I’m a bit worried about it getting done.”

 

“Sure thing Nik. It was good to meet you Eddie!” 

 

“You too! See ya around.”

 

Eddie looked around, more than half of the table had cleared out to get to work. Saul and Nikki were squeezed together, sampling another new plate of food and discussing if they could get their hands on Grains of Paradise, or if they would need to settle for regular pepper. Eddie figured it was the perfect time for him to ask about some of the stuff they had given him yesterday or even the invoices he had seen in the office. 

 

**_“Eddie...can we please try some of the bacon pancakes now?”_** Venom’s voice was quiet, almost as if he was trying to whisper. Eddie was just happy to hear it. 

 

“So, uh, Saul, can I get a few of those pancakes I keep hearing about?” 

 

“Hell yeah! Let me know what you think.”

 

Saul handed him a plate piled high with thick and golden pancakes, lightly drizzled with syrup and dripping with melting butter. It smelled like home, warm and sweet with a subtle smokey finish from the hunks of bacon that cut through the maple. Eddie could smell a bittersweet finish under the more obvious scents, but he wasn’t quite able to place it. Whatever it was, it had Venom drooling. 

 

“Smells good right?” Saul asked. “The bacon is actually candied - I render and drain off most of the fat and then dump a bunch of sugar and a pinch of cinnamon into what’s left. It’s like, basically refrying the bacon in sugar. The pancake recipe is actually my grandma’s sourdough pancake recipe. Bonus, these ones have a surprise inside!” 

 

“Surprise?” Eddie asks as Venom creeps closer, his anticipation bubbling through.

 

Saul didn’t answer, just smiled and gestured to Eddie to dig in. Eddie sliced through the stack like he is in a crappy national chain diner commercial, cutting out a perfect wedge of pancake. As he stabbed the wedge and pulled it away, a river of chocolate cascaded out of the center of each pancake, coating the plate.

 

“Bacon _and_ **chocolate?!”** Eddie couldn’t help but grin with his and Venom’s combined delight as they inhaled the rich chocolate scent.   


Saul laughed, “Thought you would like that. I’ve never met anyone who likes dark chocolate as much as you.”

 

 Eddie nodded, noticing just how different the chocolate smelled with Venom’s ‘changes.’ 

 

At first, the stack had just smelled like, well, pancakes and chocolate. But as he concentrated, he noticed undertones of the chocolate’s cacao beans and a milkiness from the cream, with an underlying hint of nuttiness from the roasting process. Eddie took another deep breath, letting himself get lost in the decadence of it.

 

It smelled like the thing you miss the most. Like the key to solving a craving you never knew you had, a craving that consumed you mind and soul. With that realization, Eddie felt intense hunger, all at once not his own and from a deep void in himself that he had never noticed. 

 

Eddie took the biggest bite he dared under the circumstances. The pancake itself was light, fluffy and slightly sweet from the maple syrup. Fatty, rich butter coated his mouth, slightly salty but creamy and sweet in and of itself. 

 

The thick bacon hunks were perfectly rendered as promised, with the sugar coating making it extra crispy on the outside, leaving the inside meaty and tender. The general bacony-ness of it gave way to a mild, fruity sweet smoked pork. Eddie had never understood why “applewood smoked” was a selling point for bacon until he tasted _this_. 

 

Then they hit the river of chocolate. It was mild in comparison to the chocolate fountain and mousse, but still brutally bitter until combined with the sweetness from the pancakes and syrup. Eddie couldn’t tell if it was from his new tastebuds or because the brand was different, but this chocolate had strong fruit tones, reminding him of dried cherries and even a bit of sour, under ripe raspberries. 

 

Venom purred in pleasure. **_“This is so much better than the goopy fake bacon and chocolate popcorn, Eddie.”_ **

 

Eddie couldn’t agree more. He took another bite, making sure to get both bacon and chocolate piled onto the pancake. The resulting combination of flavor sent his senses into hyperdrive. 

 

It tasted like _home_ , like comfort, like peace. The craving Eddie had felt so distinctly before was overwhelmingly satisfied, closing every void he had felt, while his heart was torn wide open. There wasn’t a word Eddie could find to describe what was rushing through him, the closest he could find was the concept of vehement joy or pure contentment. It was like being wrapped in the softest blanket and held close by someone you love.

 

Taking an extra chocolatey bite, Eddie reached toward the bond, wanting to share whatever he could with Venom. The Symbiote was wrapped in his own cocoon of good feelings, feeding off of Eddie’s while echoing them back. But much to Eddie’s irritation, everything felt more distant, more contained than yesterday, and Venom himself felt more isolated than Eddie would have liked. 

 

Eddie mentally poked at the bond, trying push how happy he was towards Venom, to get his partner to come closer so they could share even more. Instead, Venom curled closer into himself and slipped away, leaving Eddie with a new void filled with the hazy impression of an apology. 

 

_What the hell?_ Eddie thought. Why the hell would Venom slink away, regretful of the happiness they had been feeling, _together?_ What had Eddie done so wrong? Was Venom upset about Eddie’s comments earlier?

 

Eddie sighed. At least they had made it through most of the stack before Eddie fucked it up. He shoved another piece into his mouth, happy to find that it still tasted amazing even without the emotional feedback. Looking up and around the table, he became aware of Saul trying to catch his attention. 

 

“Earth to Eddie!” Eddie grunted in recognition around his mouthful of pancake. “Man, you really get into chocolate. It’s like you’re dead to the world as soon as it hits your mouth.”

 

Eddie swallowed. “Well, can’t say you’re wrong. It’s kind of like eating nirvana, especially when you throw in bacon.”

 

“Glad you think so! The chocolate was a new risk I wanted to try. Anyway, just wanted to let you know, Nikki’s gonna give her morning prep talk and then we gotta get the lobby back in order and put some final touches on prep.”

 

Eddie looked round the room and kicked himself. He had lost the chance to talk to Saul and Nikki mostly alone. Most of the crew had regathered around the table, packing any leftovers away to take home later. A large, covered bowl was pushed towards Eddie by Anita with a wink. Eddie glanced inside, it was full of the mousse from yesterday, topped with some sauce and even some cookie crumbles. He gulped as the smell hit him, richer and more tempting than it had been before.

 

Eddie quickly covered it back up and pulled it closer, “Thank you!” 

 

Before Eddie could ask why they were being so kind, the back door charm went off and from the back, they could hear Aubrey shout, “GOOD MORNING CHEF! It’s good to see you this! Can I bring your coffee to your office?”

 

“Thank you, my pretty little bird, but that won’t be necessary this morning. I think I’m gonna join in for the end family meal. Heard there’s a couple of surprises this morning!”

 

“ _Shit_ why is Jon here? It’s only 10:50! He is _never_ here this early.” At Aubrey’s outburst, the entire table had burst into a frenzy of activity, hiding yesterday's leftovers under foil and dirty plates and packing up most of the from home dishes under chairs. 

 

“Eddie, hide your bowl.” Saul hissed, “He hates us eating or throwing out leftovers. He wants us to keep serving them, despite regulations.”

 

Eddie had no sooner pushed the bowl under his chair, than a short, goateed man strode into the dining room like he owned the place. He probably felt like he did. 

 

“Nicole, my girl!” The man rested a spindly hand on Nikki’s shoulder, almost caressing her neck. Eddie watched as Nikki slightly shuttered and clenched her teeth. “I heard you had some hot shot reporter coming in and didn’t tell me!”

 

Eddie shifted uncomfortably and noticed Saul typing furiously on his phone under the table. Eddie’s phone chimed. 

 

_Follow Nikki’s lead._ Eddie hadn’t been too worried about the chef until that point. Something didn’t feel right. 

 

“Good morning Chef!” Nikki’s voice dripped false honey sweetness, but was laced with fear. “I wanted it to be a surprise! Eddie, this is Chef Jon, the executive chef for the L’appel du Vide Group. He’s the creative genius behind Crudité and the rest of the L'appel du Vide family.” 

 

Having tasted Nikki’s food and listening to Venom rant about the L’appel du Vide restaurant reviews, Eddie highly doubted that the flattery was anywhere near the truth. 

 

“Chef, this is Eddie Brock. He’s doing an article on Crudité and the changing trends of fine dining in the city. He wanted to see a bit of the behind the scenes you know?” 

 

Eddie was taken back at Nikki’s claim of an article until he remembered Saul’s text. He wished they had included him in their little plan before putting him on the spot. He had no idea what went into a restaurant review, and if the review didn’t actually get printed his cover would be blown wide open. 

 

“Good to meet you!” Eddie stuck out his hand for a handshake, which was ignored, Jon opting instead to rest his free hand on Nikki’s other shoulder, effectively pinning her to the chair. 

 

“Humm, Eddie Brock. I know that name…” Jon leaned towards Eddie over Nikki’s head, uncomfortably close, “Weren't you involved in that whole Life Foundation fiasco last year, destroying half the bay in that explosion?”

 

“The one and the same. Although, I wouldn’t call _Drake’s_ experimental rocket failing during liftoff ‘destroying half the bay.’” Eddie didn’t like where this was going. There was something incredibly _off_ about Jon. He smelled almost rotten, like a steak that could have been delicious but had been left on the counter for a few days. 

 

“Whatever you call it Mr. Brock, good, innocent people like Drake died on your watch, no? So, you moved on to restaurants, huh? Bothering us decent folk trying to make a living?” 

 

Eddie couldn’t help but be reminded of Drake and the other self entitled assholes he had encountered over the years who loved victimizing themselves. Between that and the way Jon had moved onto _petting_ Nikki’s hair as he sat down in a chair behind her, Eddie wanted to punch this guy in the face. 

 

Instead Eddie flashed a smile, showing as much teeth as he could in return. “Like Nikki said, I’m running a new food column, focusing on up and coming spots in the city. Unique places, the _real_ trend setters, you know?”

 

Jon grinned in reply, incredibly predatory and _hungry_. Not in the way Venom’s sharp teeth and claws were those of a hungry predator, but in the same way Eddie had seen in the eyes of the wealthy who hunted safari animals for fun. Like he had seen in Riot’s as they ripped apart Eddie’s body. Hunger to cause pain for pains sake. 

 

The look had Venom’s hackles raised and a stream of protectiveness slipped through the bond. Eddie relaxed with Venom closer to his heart. 

 

“Unique trend setters huh? Well, you’ve come to the right place. I like to taste and _keep_ unique things. Tell me, Mr. Brock, which paper was willing to pick you up after all the stunts you’ve pulled and let you write restaurant reviews? Anything I would have heard of? Or just some corner freebie?”

 

**_“What an ass, Eddie. Let me eat him.”_ ** Eddie let his grin spread wide and sharp. He had missed his partner’s comments throughout this mess. Having Venom’s voice echo through his head felt like coming home, and he felt his confidence swell. 

 

“Actually, Black Star will be running it. Tuesday in fact.” Jon scowled at Eddie. Black Star was known for being hard hitting and trustworthy. Eddie had no idea how he was going to swing getting this published, but it was worth a shot.

 

Jon grimaced. “I look forward to reading it than,” He stood, one of his hands still clawing into Nikki. “Nicole, I’ll leave you to it. Have Aubrey come see me in my office. Immediately.”

 

“Sorry Chef,” Saul pipped in, “Aubrey was only here for prep. She’s already left for a delivery and she won’t be back today.” Jon’s fist clenched and Eddie could almost see his neck vein pulsing in irritation.

 

“Fine. Just have someone bring me my usual right away.” He turned back to Eddie, “Mr. Brock, I hope you can figure out how to write us in a good light. I would rather not be counted among your _victims_.”

 

“I guess I’ll just have to let the creator and their food shine for _herself_. Oh, sorry I mean themselves.”

 

Jon’s nostrils flared, fury flashing across his face. He turned and sauntered down the hall to his office, slamming the door.

 

Saul broke out into a small fit of giggles. “Oh my god, did you see his face when you told him that you’re with Black Star?” 

 

The rest of the table joined him as Nikki added, “I thought he was going to explode at ‘herself.’ Eddie, you were great.” Her watched chimed and she turned her attention to her crew. “Alright folks! Party’s over, it’s 11:00 on the dot. Let’s do this thing!”

 

There was a chorus of “YES CHEF!” and the crew moved with the grace only practice and familiarity could bring. Saul and Nikki had Eddie join them at a smaller table to wrap up a couple things. 

 

“Sorry to put you on the spot like that, Eddie.” Nikki looked a bit sheepish, running her hand through her hair. 

 

“No worries, except now I need to figure out how I can tell Black Star they are running a restaurant review in four days. They are going to _love_ that.” 

 

“Oh god, I didn’t even think about that. It was the only thing I could think of when he walked in. He normally shows up around 2:00, makes a bunch of noise in his office, and walks out around 3:30 to get back to his pet project- his ‘exclusive’ catering gigs.” 

 

That was the third time Eddie had heard about the exclusive gigs. “Well, he’s an ass. Actually, while we’re talking about it, I keep hearing about his exclusive catering? What the hell is that all about?”

 

“Basically, it’s a secret menu club sort of thing. It’s almost always for a select group of investors or their friends. Word of mouth only, and you have to have a recommendation from someone who’s done it before to even get on his list.” Eddie’s leg started to tickle as Nikki explained, “He has a crew of his favorites that prepare all of the main dishes for it, though they have no problem walking in here during dinner service and swiping my sauces and desserts.”

 

“That’s a dick move. Do they cook it here?” Eddie scratched at his leg, it felt like something was crawling along his skin.

 

“Oh _hell_ no. Working with the types of final dishes we do, we have to be extra careful of cross contamination and take every precaution necessary to make sure our products are safe. I won’t let them bring in any supplies and ingredients I haven’t approved. It’s why we can’t serve leftovers to our customers. It’s perfectly safe, just not worth the risk.” 

 

“So where do they work?” The crawling suddenly stopped and Eddie heard a slight _pop_ and the smell of chocolate mousse hit him. _VENOM!_ Eddie glanced under the table to see the tiniest thread of Venom reaching into the closed dish, long tongue ready to take a lick. 

 

Eddie grabbed the bowl before Venom could actually dig in, snapping the lid closed and putting it on the table in front of him. Eddie could hear Venom grumble about being treated unfairly. 

 

“They have a kitchen set up in a warehouse closer to the docks. I’ll text you the address.”

 

“Actually, Nikki and I were talking,” Saul added, “about having you come on one of the weird catering gigs next week. We keep a lot of the company’s catering stuff at the warehouse for Jon’s pet crew’s convenience, even though we do more jobs. We will probably need to pick up _something_ from there.”

 

“Let’s do it. Just let me know when to be here.”

 

“Geat! Do you want a spoon, or you know, a shovel, for that?” Saul asked, pointing at the bowl of mousse.

 

“Actually, can I get it to go? I feel like I’m gonna have a pancake baby.” Eddie pats his stomach, letting the pure satisfaction roll through his body.

 

“Fair enough.You can just take that whole container home and bring it back when we do the catering job.” Nikki stood, getting ready to head for the kitchen. “Well, I need to wrap up a few things before the doors open. Thanks again Eddie!” 

 

“Thank you for this. And brunch.” Eddie gestured to the bowl as he stood up, gathering his phone and notes. “I need to get going too. I’ve got some phone calls to make, a restaurant review to write, and a bowl of chocolate to inhale. Let me know when you’ve got a job lined up.”

 

Saul walked Eddie to the front doors. “Really, Eddie. Thanks for looking into this. These people, they’re my family ya know?”

 

“Hey, man, it’s my pleasure. Let’s just get to the bottom of this, yeah?”

 

“Yeah. Hey, make sure to text me if you need us. See you next week!” Saul waved as he relocked the door behind Eddie and rushed off to get ready to open.

 

Eddie popped his headphones in and headed towards the bus stop, more than willing to let the bus do the heavy lifting getting them home. He felt like he was going to burst after everything he ate.

 

“Well, Venom, that could have gone worse. Did you like the food?”

 

**_“It was delicious Eddie. All pancakes should have bacon. And chocolate.”_ ** 

 

Eddie smiled at Venom’s voice. “Yeah. Yeah they should. I’m glad you liked it, darling. I was worried you were hiding out too much to get a good taste. Do you wanna talk about what was going on with you today?”

 

Venom grumbled, knowing well and good that he had been, as Eddie had put it, “hot and cold” all day. He had decided as they set out that morning to give Eddie the space he needed to do his job and to make sure Eddie could feel like Eddie. So, Venom had shut off as much of their mental connection as he could and blocked off the emotional feedback bond. 

 

Venom had not anticipated Eddie _wanting_ his input and emotional feedback throughout the day. 

 

He also had not expected to be burned from the inside out by strings of deadly vegetables. The experience had left Venom feeling shaken and unsure. At first he had thought Eddie had been punishing him for letting his feelings slip through their bond, but had quickly realized it had been an accident.

 

And then Eddie had started poking at the bond, pushing his feelings to Venom. They had all been encouraging, full of happiness. And the chocolate had been so tempting. So Venom had let himself open up as they ate the pancakes, relishing in their mutual joy. Until Eddie poked again and he panicked, thinking Eddie must have wanted it to stop. Venom regretted shutting down like he did, but having had shut down so much of their connection, he hadn’t been sure what Eddie wanted, what Eddie needed. 

 

He had made it even worse for Eddie when he couldn’t resist the giant bowl of mousse. 

 

Venom didn’t know how to answer Eddie, so he posed his own question. **_“Why did you deny yourself the mousse Eddie? You could have eaten it while you talked.”_ **

 

Eddie stopped in his tracks, taken back by the question. “I thought you may want to eat it yourself when we got home. Ya know, so you could actually enjoy it and not have to hide under a damn table. You deserve it. Come on, I’ve gotta call Mrs. Black and beg her to run a restaurant review. God, Black Star doesn’t even have a restaurant reviewer, even for their online platform. Fuck, what did we get ourselves into?”

 

Instead of answering, Venom continued to ponder the day and Eddie’s on their trip home. Again, he found himself conflicted about what Eddie wanted. He was surprised by how encouraging Eddie was about feeling the emotional feedback of true Symbiosis. After their discussion the day before, Venom had sure that Eddie didn’t want them to grow and change together. 

 

As Eddie walked in the door and unpacked his bag, Venom finally found his answer. 

 

**_“Eddie, about today. We just wanted you to be happy, wanted you to feel like Eddie. We are sorry we let ourselves slip.”_ **

 

“Venom, love, what are you talking about?” Eddie put the semi-melted mousse in the fridge to chill as Venom manifested a small head on Eddie’s shoulder to watch.

 

**“If we stay separate, it would be for the better, because that is what Eddie wants, for Eddie to stay Eddie and not us. But, it’s hard for us to remember to keep ourselves isolated.”**

 

“Venom, you’re not making any sense. Why would you want to be isolated? You’re the one always telling me we are Venom, we are one, I am yours, and all that shit.”

 

**“Yes, but Eddie doesn’t want** **_us_ ** **.”**

 

Something clicked for Eddie. “Venom, now you listen to me, and you listen to me good. I want you with me, for however long you will take me. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t put up with half the shit you pull, got it? Check for yourself if you don’t believe me you dumb fuck.” Venom watched Eddie’s emotions fall through the bond, bright with anger, but gushing with love, care, and want. Eddie wanted Venom to stay. 

 

**“We want that too Eddie.”**  

 

“Okay, good. Now, I’m going to call Mrs. Black and see what we can do about this review.” 

 

Eddie wasn’t sure what that had all been about. Today had more ups and downs than yesterday and it was only noon. One thing he was sure of, Venom must be growing tired of Eddie if he was willing to start pulling away and isolate himself. Eddie’s heart fell. Sure, Venom wanted him for now, but would Eddie himself ever be enough?

 

Eddie shook himself out of his thoughts and called Black Star. Kimber’s perky voice answered the other end, “Hey, Kimber. It’s Eddie Brock. Does Mrs. Black have a few minutes? Oh, perfect. Yeah, five minutes should do it. Sure, I can hold.” Eddie covered the receiver. “Ven, as soon as I’m off this call, you can have the mousse, okay?” 

 

“Hi Mrs. Black! Yeah, it went really well. Mum hum, yeah I was able to secure some solid evidence. Yup, I will send it over for you to look over… So about that, we ran into a bit of a hiccup. Um, so one of the main suspects showed up halfway through... No, nothing major. Well, you see, uh. I may have insinuated Black Star was running a review next week on Crudité when he asked why I was there.” 

 

“I sure hope you aren’t asking me to run a _restaurant review_ for you to keep your cover.” Mrs. Black was not impressed, but she wasn’t as furious as Eddie had expected. 

 

“Well, the thing is, I guess I kind of am. On Tuesday no less.”

 

“Eddie, you're not a food writer. _At all._ You’re not even a staff writer for Black Star. And we don't run anything restaurant related. Why would we? It’s not controversial in any way. It's not _news._ It's just food and fluff.”

 

Eddie sighed. He had expected this, but had held out hope she would just go along with it to help maintain his cover. 

 

“I know, I know. I’m an investigative reporter, and Black Star is anything but fluffy. But, I think that we can make that work to our advantage.”

 

“Explain quickly, Eddie. I have another call at 1:00.”

 

“The thing is, a restaurant review would be unexpected, new, different. It would draw in a new demographic of readers, right? But having _Eddie Brock_ write it would draw even more. Use my name and style to spark a fight about something totally unexpected.”

 

She huffed out a breath. “I’m not totally convinced, Eddie, but, you can write your restaurant review. You’ll have to get it to me by four  tomorrow to get it ready to run Tuesday. No more than two thousand words and I’m reserving the right move it to web only as I see fit, or scrap it, if I don’t like it. Deal?”

 

“Deal. Mrs.Black, I can’t thank you enough.”

 

“Just make all of this worth my time, Eddie. I’m going out on a limb for you here.”

 

“Promise, it will be...Yeah, I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Thanks again!” 

 

Eddie hung up the call and popped open the tub of mousse as he sat on the couch. The rich chocolate and fruit scent permeated the apartment and Eddie’s mouth watered. He set the bowl down in front of Venom, who had again manifested as soon as the bowl was opened.

 

 “Do you wanna watch Cutthroat Kitchen while you eat? We can take a break and then I’m going to need your help to write the damn thing if we are gonna get it done by tomorrow.”

 

**“Yes, Eddie. We would love that. Would you like to share?”** Eddie was startled, Venom wasn’t normally one to share chocolate when he was free to simply scarf it. 

 

It was difficult for Eddie to resist the smell and Venom’s kindness. “You know what, I would love a little bit. Let me grab a spoon.”

 

Spoon and small bowl acquired, Eddie scooped himself some mousse and set the rest on the couch next to Venom's noodle head. “Just don’t get any on the couch. Is there an episode you want to watch?”

 

**“One of the ones with the ball pit, Eddie. I like to watch them lose things in it.”**

 

“Ball pit it is.” Eddie and Venom relaxed into the couch.

 

Eddie watched Venom lick his way through the bowl as he realized that he probably should use the downtime to talk through the past few days, weeks even, with his partner. He couldn’t bring himself to interrupt Venom’s happiness with his concerns, with his questions. But even more so, Eddie couldn’t bring himself to hear the answers he was sure Venom was to give.

 

On the other side of the couch, Venom watched Eddie as he dreaded the same answers. He knew he would need to face the truth eventually.

 

But, for now, they both let a semblance of peace trickle through their bond, relishing in chocolaty delight and watching Alton Brown put pompous chefs through hell, unable to tell whose anxiety was whose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Unfortunately, I am going to take a hiatus on posting this fic until I finish writing it. I am expecting about ten chapters and it’s going to take a couple months to get done. I am still planning on finishing it, but the story has grown much, much bigger than I planned and my work schedule hasn’t slowed down like it normally does in the summer. Thank you for all of your kind comments and support, it really means a lot to me! -DisDayne

**Author's Note:**

> Episode 2: It’s Better Raw  
> Eddie begins his investigation into L'appel du Vide and is invited to lunch at their most popular restaurant, Crudite. Venom is very excited about the menu, Eddie should have looked up why.


End file.
